


Opposites Attract- Written in the Stars

by WillowDragonCat



Series: Opposites Attract [1]
Category: Thunderbirds
Genre: Action & Romance, Angst, Epic Friendship, F/M, Falling In Love, Family Angst, Family Feels, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-24
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:14:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 62
Words: 323,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21549703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WillowDragonCat/pseuds/WillowDragonCat
Summary: Sometimes you don't know what you really need until you have it.
Relationships: John Tracy/Original Characters, John Tracy/Selene Tempest
Series: Opposites Attract [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2110989
Comments: 314
Kudos: 118





	1. Opposites Attract

**Author's Note:**

> An ongoing story series about finding love when you least expect it, family, friendship and selfless heroism. 
> 
> My background is in Paranormal Romantic Comedy and this is my first time dipping a toe into fanfics. 
> 
> I was challenged to write a cross over between a fandom and my novel world, these are the results. This is a hybrid of TOS and TAG but mostly TAG. This beast has grown bigger and more involved than I could ever have imagined but I'm loving every second of it. 
> 
> I'm a firm believer that opposites attract and sometimes you need a nudge out of your comfort zone. 
> 
> I do not own the Thunderbirds characters but I do own the original character and any set in the Carpe Noctem World. 
> 
> I welcome any feedback. Hope you enjoy.
> 
> (note: This is rated mature because of scenes of a sexual nature, occasional full sex, occasionally but strong bad language throughout, and some subjects readers might find hard to read, but every effort has been made to provide adequate warnings at the beginnings of every chapter and everything is written sensitively and for storyline purposes.)

The emergency call logo on the console lit up and John punched the button to answer it, eager for something to do. "International Rescue, what's your emergency?" 

Selene paused, unsure of how to continue since she hadn't really expected to get an answer after calling a random number on google. "... Erm... Hi?" 

John's sigh could have been heard from Mars. "Are you in need of help... Miss?" He couldn't see who was calling, the video part of the call having been blocked. 

"Yes, yes I am definitely in need of help!" 

"And how may we assist? Is your life in immediate danger?" 

She awkwardly lifted her head up to look. "If this branch snaps, then yes."

"Branch?" He could feel a headache coming on and pinched the bridge of his nose in an effort to relieve some of the tension . "Miss, have you been drinking?" Now that he thought about it her words did sound a little slurred. 

Sel paused again as she started another slow rotation, looking all around her for a way to get down. "There may have been mead..." 

"Mead?" Who did he have on the phone, a viking? 

"Yes, mead, it's a honey wine made..."

"I know what mead is, Miss-"

"Selene, my names Selene, and yours is?"

"Erm..." he was pretty sure they weren't allowed to give names out willy-nilly to drunk girls on the phone. 

"Nice to meet you, Mr Erm... Now, as I was saying, I need a bit of help here." 

"What's your current situation? I can't help unless I know who and what to send."

"Promise you won't laugh?"

John's eyes slid to the button on his console that pulled up the feed to Tracy Island, debating. Were they too far away to help him, or could the woman fend for herself? He decided that he was a professional and will just have to cope.

"I don't make it a habit to laugh at people in trouble, it's not a nice thing to do with this job."

Sel scowled at her phone as if she could project it to him and he'd feel it full force. "That's not a promise..." 

"I promise I won't laugh at you. What is the problem?" 

"I'm counting on you, Mr Erm... OK, so, I was coming back from the summer solstice celebrations..." 

John's eyes widened, was he was dealing with a drunk hippy... "And?" 

"And there was this owl that I tried to avoid. My bristles hit a power line and sparked and I pitched sideways and the tree caught me." 

"Bristles?" She was crazy. Pure, unmedicated lunatic. 

"Yes, and now my broom is on the ground, the shaft snapped and I fear my knicker elastic is about to go the same way..."

His fingers flew over the console as he pulled up the locations of his brothers, one of them would have to take over, his brain couldn't cope. Scott was already out, Alan was on a job with Kayo and Brians, so that left Virgil and Gordon. Virgil could likely be counted on to be a professional but Gordon was another matter entirely. Her last words pulled him up short. 

"Knicker elastic?" 

"Yes!" Her tone was growing more desperate by the second. "I kinda slid down a branch and my underwear got caught on something and it's the only thing keeping me in the tree, I appear to be hanging with my head closer to the ground than my feet. I've managed to get my legs around a branch but I'm kinda in an atomic wedgie situation and can't move."

He couldn't help it and only just managed to stifle his snort of amusement. 

"YOU PROMISED YOU WOULDN'T LAUGH!" 

"I'm not laughing," he lied, fighting to control his shaking voice. 

"Don't lie to me, Mr Erm! I can hear you you know!"

"My name isn't Erm," he corrected absently as he concentrated on tracking her phones location. She had to be pranking him, there was no way... He hacked into the nearest satellite to her location, the picture swinging around to show him... Shit! How the fuck was she still talking so calmly? She was indeed very much stuck, her skirt hanging down obscuring her face, just a shock of black hair streaked with purple hanging below the hem. Long legs were wrapped around a branch and her underwear was on full show. Below her on the ground was a broken broomstick, snapped in a couple of places, singed twigs scattered all around. There were a number of other items, including what looked to be a dagger of some kind and an old book that had fallen to join it.

"What is it then?" Her tone was conversational even though he could see she was still struggling, one arm bent at the elbow, obviously holding her phone while the other flailed uselessly. 

"What's what?" he was too distracted by the scene before him to follow the weirdest conversation he'd ever had, and when you had four brothers you heard some random shit.

"Your name, or do I just start calling you Mr sexy voice?" 

Selene grinned to herself as his choked cough reached her ears. 

"Are you seriously trying to flirt while hanging from a 30ft high branch?" He'd tapped a button, patching him into the island where Gordon answered his call. 

"Who's flirting?" Gordon leapt straight onto his brothers last comment. 

"Well I was before I realised how fucking high up I am! Will you bloody well help me? I swear, I'll love you forever if you don't let me fall and die with my head smashed in and my brains on the ground near StoneHenge! It's not much of a brain, but it's mine and I kinda need it!"

"No one's letting you die today. Just hang on for a minute."

"Is that a joke? What else can I fucking do!" 

John muted the screaming woman and turned back to his brother, who was currently rolling around the couch, laughing so hard he could barely breathe. "John...she's...she'll love you forever..." he broke off, wheezing too hard to form words. 

Thankfully for John's sanity, his second eldest brother chose that moment to wander in from the kitchen. Virgil looked from his coffee cup, full of freshly brewed dark goodness, to his middle brother's floating hologram, and then to his second youngest who was rocking in a heap on the floor, gasping for air. He was never going to get to drink his coffee now. Sadly, reverently, he placed the mug down on the coffee table and, against his better judgment, asked for more information. 

John was quick to fill him in, flashing up the satellite footage that still showed the witch wiggling like a worm on a hook, trying to reach a nearby branch with her one free hand. The image sent Gordon off into a fresh burst of laughter that almost drowned out John's words. 

"Tell her we're on our way," Virgil scooped up his brother, who was too weak from laughing, tears streaming down his face, and propelled him towards 2's hanger. 

Taking a steadying breath, John unmuted the woman, wincing as her demanding screams for help reached his ears. 

"Calm down, miss, I've dispatched a rescue team." 

"You left me! How dare you! I thought we had a connection, I thought we had a thing going on! Don't you dare leave me again or I'll hunt you down!" 

"I didn't leave you..." 

"You ghosted me, you shit!" 

"I promise I didn't ghost you..." What the hell even was ghosting? "I promise I won't leave you again." 

Gordon's laughter could still be heard from his co-pilot seat on 2 and even Virgil's deep chuckle had joined it. 

"Are they laughing at me! Don't make me curse you all, I'm a Witch, I can do it!" 

"You needed help, and they are the only ones available."

Sele took a deep breath, trying to calm down, the panic was making things worse. 

"Just…just tell them to hurry, because I'm losing feeling in my legs and my head is swimming and not in a good way." 

The change in her tone allowed him to hear the fear there, and he remembered the fact that she really must be terrified to be stuck in such a situation, no matter how crazy she seemed. 

"They will be there in less than ten minutes," he promised. "They are professionals and will have you safe in no time. Just keep talking to me, I'll stay on the line until they reach you." 

"Aren't you coming? You promised you wouldn't leave me. Maybe it escaped your notice but I'm in a bit of a delicate situation here and I don't know them!" 

"You don't know me!" Exasperation, thy name is John Tracy. 

"But you sound nice! That's enough right now!" 

"I can't really leave right now..." 

"You totally could," Gordon piped up, and John wrote himself a reminder to punch his brother the next time he saw him. "If you leave now we'll probably get there around the same time..." 

"No, I'm not-" 

"It has been a while since you last came out with us..." Virgil helpfully added. 

"This is not a family outing!" 

"You're related?" Selene pounced on that bit of information, their argument amusing her immensely and helping to take her mind off her situation. 

"Just get your ass down here, John," Gordon demanded, he had to see how his usually unflappable brother dealt with this mad woman when he wasn't miles away in orbit. 

"I prefer the name Mr Sexy Voice, but John will do too," Selene commented, slowly blinking to try to clear her head. 

John knew when he was beaten. He switched 5 to automated monitoring and headed towards the elevator, programing in her coordinates as he settled in the seat. 

Ignoring his brothers, he spoke again to the woman. 

"You doing OK there, Miss?" 

Instead of answering she burst into song. "I need a hero. I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night..." 

That sent his, soon to be disowned, brothers into fresh hysterics. 

He was never going to live this down... 

***

A thundering roar made the tree she was hanging from shake dangerously as something massive came in close to where she was doing her undignified dangling. She heard the sound of running footsteps and then a grinning face appeared below her. 

"Hi, I'm Gordon, John didn't tell us your name." 

She reached out her free hand as if to shake his but realised she was way too far away and tugged it back. "Selene, pleased to meet you."

Another head popped into her line of vision who introduced himself as Virgil. 

"So, you guys with the government or something?" she tried to keep herself occupied as they busied themselves with figuring out how to get her down. 

Virgil paused to frown. "Erm...No. You don't know us?" 

She shook her head and almost passed out, spots dancing before her eyes. She'd periodically been lifting her head to relieve some of the pressure, but it made her neck hurt and it harder to breathe. 

"You've not heard of us on the news?" 

"I don't really keep up with current affairs..." she struggled to maintain her focus on the men below, wishing that the one with the nice voice was still talking to her. 

"So how did you know who to call?" Gordon questioned, stunned that anyone could not have at least heard of them. That wasn't good for his ego. 

She shrugged as best she could upside down. "I hit my google button and asked it to call for help. Talking of Google, can I drop my phone now, my hands starting to cramp?" 

"Sure, you'll be able to hear John through our comms," Virgil assured her. 

"Where is he?" she clicked off her phone and tucked it awkwardly back into her bra, hoping it would stay put and let her arms drop down to dangle above her head. 

"I'm on my way." His smooth voice did a lot towards calming the panic that she was trying so hard to hide with jokes and good humour. 

Gordon and Virgil were discussing a plan, something that involved a pulley system, a grappling hook and much praying, she didn't pay much attention to the details. She was more focused on the fact that she felt very sick and although she had now sobered up from adrenaline and shock, she was still upside down and the human body was not designed for such a thing. Her heart was pounding in her ears and she was feeling a tightness in her chest, struggling to keep breathing deeply and calmly. 

The boys got to work, not waiting for their brother to touch down, not liking the redness to her face or the way her eyes kept drifting closed for longer periods before she roused herself. With a carefully calculated blast, an eye with a rope threaded through was fired at the top of the tree, giving them enough room to manoeuvre without hitting her. 

They anchored the rope into the ground and attached a hand cranked winch and clamped on a small platform on which Gordon seated himself. Once he was secured he nodded to Virgil, who began to turn the handle of the winch, and Gordon began his assent. 

She really was in a bad situation, a slender but sturdy branch had managed to rip itself through the fabric of her underwear while thankfully not embedding itself in her plump butt cheek, but there was no way she could have gotten herself free. She had managed to lock and loop her ankles around a branch higher up which had saved her from falling if the flimsy material had given out, which it inevitably would have. There were no branches close enough for her to hold with her arms and with the branch caught on her undercarriage there was no way she could sit herself upright enough to even attempt to pull herself up to the branch above. She knew because she had tried before she had thrown her dignity to the wind and called for help. 

OK, this was not the sight he had expected earlier when the call had come in, he admitted to himself as he stared at the smaller branch that was wedged in against her left butt cheek, having grazed the skin enough to draw a little blood and leave the flesh tinged pink. He grinned, allowing himself a moment to enjoy the view... 

"Are you staring at my arse?" she screeched. 

"No!" He totally was. "I'm assessing the situation."

John strode into the woods, following the sound of his brothers and the screeching of the woman. His older brother was at the base of the tree, pulling on a rope that held his younger brother aloft. Gordon did not seem to be having an easy time dealing with her, something he could sympathise with. Nothing about her had been easy from the moment he answered the call. 

As he neared the tree he clearly heard her accusing Gordon of staring at her butt. A surprising and uncontrollable spurt of jealousy shot through him at the thought of anyone else looking at her and he found himself raising his voice for the first time in years as he yelled at his brother. 

"Stop staring at her ass!" 

A new face appeared in her line of vision and she felt what little breath she had left in her lungs woosh out in a rush. He was... Wow. 

"Damn, boy, you fine." 

He glanced up as he reached the base of the tree and got his first, albeit upside down and quite far away, look at the woman. 

She had a pale complexion, her skin almost silvery in the moonlight. Her eyes, from what he could see of them, were large and framed by carefully executed eyeliner that emphasised and elongated their natural shape. She was wearing a corset gown of some kind, almost medieval in appearance which was doing a valiant job of keeping her breasts in place, though he couldn't help the tiny prayer that he send up, hoping that it would lose its battle with gravity very soon. 

She greeted him with a wide smile and apparently she liked the look of him as much as he did her, although Gordon seemed to find the idea hilarious. 

The body, currently suspended next to her, began to shake as Gordon dissolved into fresh fits of laughter. "Your head must really be messed up if you think he's the good looking one." 

She couldn't turn around enough to glare, but she tried. 

Gordon managed to pull himself together enough to reach out and test the strength of the branch her legs were clinging to. 

"Just stay still for a minute, I'll try to snap this one that's trapped you and..." 

"Hell no! You'll drop me!" 

"I won't drop you." 

"You're tiny and short! I'm huge, I'm 5ft 10, I'll crush you!" She flailed in a sudden panic, and he only just managed to close his legs in time before her fist hit something delicate. 

"I am not tiny!" He was so insulted. "I'm trying to rescue you, you mad woman!" He reached towards her butt, intending to snap the branch but she screamed again. 

"I'm gonna die with a someone groping me!" 

The witch, being the awkward and obstinate thing she was, was refusing to let his brothers help her, on the verge of a blind panic that could be dangerous. If she lost her grip she would be seriously hurt. 

The seat Gordon was sitting astride wobbled and dipped a few feet as Virgil briefly lost his grip on the rope, his shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. 

Gordon yelped as he dropped, which didn't instill her with much confidence. 

"I respectfully request another rescuer!" At Gordon's outraged "Hey!" she hurriedly tacked on, " no offence, I'm sure you're great and we can totally go get drinks after but you know..." 

"No more drinks for you!" John bellowed up the tree. 

"Is he always this grumpy?" 

Gordon shrugged. "He hasn't gotten laid in like, a really long time." 

It was John's turn to yell as Gordon suddenly dropped like a stone, Virgil only just managing to shove John aside, and away from the rope, to catch his younger brother before he hit the deck. 

His brother was determined to drive him insane. The first woman that had looked his way in years, and the first one to actually catch his attention back, and Gordon was basically telling her that he was a sex starved monk. Perfect. The urge to kill still rode him as Virgil lowered Gordon to the ground. 

Virgil dragged Gordon off the platform and made to strap in himself... 

"Hell no! Have you seen your shoulders? How do you fit through doorways, dude? We won't both fit on there." 

"Are you always this picky about being rescued?" Gordon sniped. 

"Are you lot always such idiots?" a deep voice answered for her as Scott appeared, handing John one of their custom designed jet packs after giving their rope rigging a disbelieving stare. He had heard the exchanges over the comms on his way home and had thought the situation too funny to miss, diverting under the guise of helping. Looked like he had been right to do so. 

"You're new!" The witch waved from her upside down perch, feeling more and more like a vampire bat than a Witch with every passing second and now slightly delirious. 

Scott waved back, his eyes alight with amusement as his middle brother wrestled the pack's straps over his shoulders and bucked up around his waist. 

"It's about time John did some of the heavy lifting," Gordon muttered under his breath but she heard him. 

"Did you just call me heavy?" 

"You called me tiny and short!" he shot back earning himself a whap around the head from John. But Selene just laughed, finally able to see an end to this horror night. 

"Touché, my man. I'm sorry, you aren't short, you're compact and perfectly formed." 

"You know, I kinda like her, " Scott grinned.

John rolled his eyes, checked the pack one last time and eased his thumb down on the trigger, controlling his assent as he went to rescue the witch, his head in that calm space they all adopted when someone needed them. 

She flailed dangerously as he approached, but he caught her hands in his. 

"I'm here, I've got you." She clung to his hands, refusing to let go, which would have been fine if he hadn't needed them to actually rescue her. 

For want of a better idea he guided her hands around his waist. "Hold on to me, I'm not going anywhere, I promise. Just relax, hold still and I'll have you down before you know it."

She nodded and wrapped her arms so tightly around his waist he could barely feel his legs. Once he was sure she was calm he got to work. 

Selene was eye to crotch with he of the sexy voice, her arms looped around his waist for stability so she could actually raise her head and give her brain some relief, her cheek resting against the smooth material of his suit that covered his toned abdomen. 

Carefully he broke through the branch that had been holding her captive and slid it gently free from her, rather nice and now ruined, underwear. She didn't even complain when he absently rubbed at her abused skin for a second before he realised what he had done and cleared his throat, flipped down her skirt to cover her up and lowered himself enough that she could slide her arms around his neck. 

It was only when she felt his surprisingly strong arms encircle her waist that she felt secure and safe enough to unhook her legs and let them drop, although there was much screaming, monkey clinging and pleas of "Please don't drop me, I'm too pretty to die!" before he took charge, wrapped her flailing legs around his waist and held her until she finally managed a breath and could take her first full look at her hero. 

He had pale reddish hair and a pair of startling eyes that seemed to have all variants of the blue/green spectrum in them, like they couldn't decide which they wanted to be. He had a fine boned face but a strong jaw and cheekbones she would kill for. He looked slender but she could feel the muscles that corded his body, lean and powerful. She looked down at his chest, her eyes tracing the material of his uniform. 

"Dude, that suit leaves zero to the imagination." Suddenly exhausted her head thumped down onto his shoulder, her body sagging with relief against his as she shifted to better secure her hold.

"Please don't wiggle," he hissed, a pained expression on his face as she realised they were so tightly pressed together a sheet of paper couldn't have slipped between them and she could feel every muscle and bump of his sleek form, including the parts that were rather happy to have her so close. Not that she cared right at that moment. 

Never being one for boundaries, she nuzzled her nose against his neck, breathing in his intoxicating scent. "You smell like stardust and moonlight, Space Man." 

He frowned in confusion, turning his head to look at her. How the hell would she know what any of that smelt like? How could she possibly know that only an hour before her call he had been required to venture out to replace an antenna that had been lost to a passing piece of space junk? 

"Witch," she whispered in answer to his unspoken question. 

He glanced at the ground, where her smashed broom still lay and suddenly he wasn't so sure that she really was just a crazy hippy who had engaged in a drunken prank. She was too high off the ground to have ever climbed or gotten a ladder without some kind of mechanical device and there was no tracks around the tree. 

He was a man of science and prided himself on his rational mind, yet there was nothing rational about her. She felt chilled in his arms, her body shaking from fatigue and likely shock, but she also felt very very real. He'd heard stories about their enemy, known only as The Hood, speaking of such things as hypnosis, mind control and the weaving of illusions. If those were to be believed, then maybe, just maybe, this woman was as magical as she seemed. He for one knew there was more to the heavens and earth than they had ever imagined and that science could do some magical, impossible things. Who was he to dismiss the possibility? 

The possibilities that she offered for study were endless, the conversations they could have… she fascinated him in a way that little had done in a long, long time. If she had any kind of magic at her fingertips, any way of harnessing the natural power of the earth to affect change, she could do so much good within their organisation. He wanted nothing more than to whisk her away and talk to her for hours. 

"Are you two done staring into each other's eyes, because some of us would like to get home at some point tonight?" the newest brother yelled up at them, startling John into motion as he gently lowered them to the ground. 

Virgil had carefully gathered her scattered tools while the others had been busy, stashing them back into the shoulder bag that had dropped from her broom. 

John held her as she slowly, carefully unwrapped her legs from his waist and lowered them to the ground. Thankfully he hadn't moved too far away and was able to catch her as her tired, shaking legs buckled, refusing to hold her weight, having strained for the past half hour in a valiant effort to keep her from falling to her possible death. 

She leant against him gratefully. He was a few inches taller than her but enough that she fit comfortably under his arm, one arm around his waist for support. John took her bag from his brother, carrying it for her.

"We'd better get you checked out before we take you home," Gordon commented, he being the only other person to have seen the damage the branch had done to her backside. "You might need a tetanus shot."

"Great, a prick in my arse, that'll round the night off nicely." 

John ignored his brothers rather crude comments as he concentrated on getting her strapped into one of the seats in the back of 2.

"I guess this is goodbye," Sel pulled him in for a hug and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. "Thanks for the rescue, Space Man. I'll be sure to call you again next time I'm in need of help." 

It was adorable the way he blushed and almost stumbled when she let him go, but his voice was its usual calm self after he cleared his throat. "I guess you have my number."

"Are we just going to ignore the fact that there's a broken broom on the floor and she's obviously cast a spell on our brother?" Gordon quipped over the comms as 2's engines roared into life. 

All too soon the 'birds had taken off, taking the delightfully random witch with them and leaving him alone next to 5's elevator. 

***

As he stepped out of the airlock and back into the floating calm of his' bird he waited for the sense of accomplishment he usually felt after one of his rare rescues, even if that one had been less dramatic than others, but it never came. 

He felt like he'd forgotten to do something, neglected his duty somehow or left something behind, though he knew he hadn't. 

The temperature controlled inside of 5, combined with his suit should have meant that his body stayed at the perfect degree of warmth, yet his body felt cold after having the witches warm self wrapped around him. Sometimes he forgot what it was like to have human contact and just how much one could miss it. 

The comm blared into life as Alan reported their safe arrival back at base, snapping him out of his unhealthy thoughts. It wouldn't be too long before Virgil and the others docked and told Alan, Kayo and Brains all about their night. He could just imagine the teasing that would be coming his way in the not so distant future. 

Deciding he couldn't deal with them right at that moment, he muted the comm to anything but an emergency and headed for his shower, the thought of hot water and bed calling to him. 

***

Three days had passed, three days of teasing comments from his brothers, a whole hour of Alan on the comm demanding to know everything that had happened and another 4 hours with Brains as he tried to examine the remains of the witches broom that Scott had gathered up and brought home. Apparently there were some elements to it that he had never seen before and it had him stumped, which was never a good thing. 

Three days and more than a dozen times he had stopped his finger from hitting a button to call the number he had saved. It was standard procedure whenever they got a call in case they got cut off or had to call back, but usually they wiped it as soon as the job was over. 

Three days of trying to convince himself that it was better this way. They all knew that what grateful people said and what they actually meant were two completely different things. With that thought he called up the saved data and with a simple flick of his finger, deleted it. 

Six days and the teasing had died down, six days and Brains has stopped babbling on about the broom, six days and John had gotten used to the silence of space again. Six days and John was back in full swing, concentrating on nothing but the emergencies coming in (thankfully fewer than normal) and coordinating their combined efforts. 

Seven days later found him floating peacefully on his back as if he were in a pool of water, his eyes closed. He was jerked out of his light doze by the buzzing of the emergency line. 

Sighing at his once again interrupted peace, he flipped over onto his front and hit the button. 

"International Rescue, what's your emergency?" 

"Hey, Space Man."

John grinned, he couldn't help it. "Are you in need of rescue, miss?" 

"I am indeed." 

He ignored the way his heart dropped to meet his stomach, the crushing disappointment that she had only called because she needed help. He fought to keep his voice from betraying him as he forced out a joking tone. 

"What's involved this time? Dracula got you trapped in a crypt , Godzila kidnapped you atop the Empire State Building or has the Loch Ness Monster capsized your boat? Because if so, thats Gordon's territory again and I'm sure he'd love to see you wet in a bikini."

"Hell no, too cold in Scotland for a bikini and much as I love your brother, he's not the one who can save me now."

"No?" Shit, that sounded serious, his mind was already racing as he worried what situation she had gotten herself into this time. That woman was a walking disaster zone and the thought of her being in danger filled him with dread. 

"No. You see, I want to go and see this new movie that's out, but I don't want to go alone." The video call clicked on, showing her smiling face and a hand waving at him.

"Movie?" Great going, John, you've descended into one word answers. Smooth as fuck. 

"Yeah, movie. So, how about it, he of the sexy voice, wanna be my date?" 

"I..." his mind whirled. Could he do that? Could he just up and leave his post for a date? They weren't forbidden from dating or spending time with people, but their need for secrecy often made it harder and more effort than it was worth and John, for one, had never really seen the point. Known for being antisocial at the best of times and a hermit at worst, he found his side of the operation gave him the perfect excuse not to bother. 

"I'll buy popcorn..." her tone was the same one Alan used to use when he wanted his brother to take him stargazing in the middle of winter, it was impossible to resist. 

Switching the controls to automated observation he send a private message to Scott, the only brother he could trust not to make his life a misery about it, and made his way back to the elevator. 

"I'm dispatching help to your current location." 

He could almost feel her remembered warmth and hear the smile in her voice. "See you soon, Star Boy." 

This time, when she hung up he knew he wouldn't be deleting that contact.


	2. Down to Earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tempting him to touch down is only the first step...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 of no clue how many, and I smell a first date on the horizon, but how will it go down?
> 
> As always my background is in Paranormal Romantic Comedy and this is no different. I own Selene and anything Carpe Noctem World related but I have no claim over the Thunderbirds boys, machines or names, I'm just playing with them.

John lifted his head from the soft pillow to glance around the darkened room. Where was he? He panicked for a moment his body registering the extra weight on it, but then the weight moved and, as if sensing his thoughts which, let's be honest, wasn't out of the realms of possibility now, she turned her head and pressed a tiny kiss to his neck. 

He instantly relaxed, remembering where he was and the reason he was there. His eyes shifting to stare down at the top of her dark head, still in slight disbelief. She was nestled close to his side, one arm across his middle, one leg flung over both of his and her head was pillowed on his chest. She was lying on his arm, which was wrapped around her. He was effectively trapped, but even though his arm had lost all feeling and his bladder had woken at the same time he had, he refused to move lest reality came crashing in and stole the moment away from him. 

He smiled when she murmured in her sleep, her arm tightening further. Nope, he wasn't moving ever again. Closing his eyes he let his mind drift back to the night before and just how he'd come to end up in her bed. 

For seven days he had managed to keep control of himself and not turn into some weird space living cyber stalker. He had stopped himself from calling her, he had stopped himself from tracing her location and he had…well he had almost stopped himself from using various satellite cameras to his advantage. 

He told himself that he was just concerned for her and that he wanted to check on her, but he knew he was lying to himself, something that he had always promised he would never do. He just wanted to see her, wanted to see how she looked when her hair wasn't a dishevelled mess from hanging upside down for half an hour, when she wasn't weak and terrified. 

She was just as he had imagined, striding confidently down the center of a shopping mall, a reusable coffee cup in her hand and her phone to her ear. He allowed himself just the quickest of glances before he shut off the feed and told himself firmly that a/he should stop being such a weirdo and b/that he needed to have some pride. If he wasn't going to call her, which he knew he would never do, then he had to stop thinking about her. Which was easier said than done. 

He refused to acknowledge just how relieved he had been when she actually called, but that relief was short lived when he realised that he would actually have to leave the safety and solitude of his craft and return to earth and all its inhabitants. 

Moving before he could change his mind or talk himself out of it, he had changed out of his uniform and into the one set of civvies he actually kept on board. It was just a simple jeans, shirt and jacket combo, but it felt almost alien. As did the fact that he was basically skipping duty, something he would never usually dream of, though Scott had assured him that he could handle remote monitoring for the night at least and that he should go, enjoy himself and have a complete break, so he had no excuses left. 

He had the elevator drop him off a few miles from her town and called a cab. As with most times he had been in one it was annoying, stale smelling and too cramped for his long legs. Thankfully they took electronic payment as he hadn't carried real money in years. 

There were so many people around, bustling here and there, shouting into phones and bumping into each other in an effort to get where they were going 0.5 seconds faster than everyone else and he hated it. Why had he let himself get talked into this? 

"Well, look at the Space Man on earth." That was why. 

His head snapped up, his eyes widening slightly as he took in the sight of her lounging casually against the outer doors of the movie theater. She too was dressed down, but then he'd only seen her in what he assumed had been her ritual clothes and then she had been in a rather undignified position at the time. 

Now she looked fully comfortable and at home, a world away from how he felt and probably looked. She wore skin tight black jeans, what looked like a retro t-shirt from some show called Captain Scarlet, and a short leather jacket. Her black hair, striped here and there with dashes of bright purple, tumbled around her shoulders. Her eyes were the only part of her face that seemed to have been touched by makeup but they were dramatic none the less, purple eyeshadow cut through with sweeping black eyeliner that formed a cat's eye flick from her lash line to the corners of her large, blue eyes almost the exact same colour as Scott's. 

True to her word she was cradling the largest bucket of popcorn he had ever seen and a huge cup of something. 

"Tickets are in my pocket," she turned and pushed her butt towards him in offer, though it took him a few seconds to realise she wanted him to delve in and retrieve them. 

He carefully slipped two fingers into the snug denim and tried hard not to let his mind dredge up the image of the last time he'd had his hands so close to her backside. 

"How's this healing?" he blurted out, then immediately wanted to punch himself in the face for being so stupid. Great going, remind her of what was probably one of her most terrifying and embarrassing moments ever. Perfect. 

But, to his intense surprise she simply laughed."It's doing good, but if you don't believe me, feel free to check it out for yourself." 

She knew she shouldn't tease him, but it was just so easy, and he was so adorable with the way he blushed and clammed up, not knowing what to say back. She really needed to get this uptight space man to relax a bit.

Tickets safely in hand John actually remembered to open the doors for her and gave himself a mental high five for not being a complete ill-mannered idiot. 

She'd picked a spot that was in a middle row but with an excess of leg room, which he appreciated very much, though her own legs were only a few inches off his own. He sat stiffly in the seat, conscious of all the other people filling in around them...thump, the big bucket of popcorn landed in his lap and the witch swivelled in her seat to face him. 

"So, tell me all about up there…" 

***

"What do you mean he's unavailable? John is always available." 

"Not tonight he's isn't. He's not even up there."

"He's not there?" Alan was aware he was repeating everything his eldest brother was saying but the words still weren't making sense. They did not compute. 

"He's on a date," Virgil tossed in vaguely as he lumbered his way to the kitchen, sore after a rescue the night before. 

"John's on a date?" Alan screeched. All he wanted to do was call his brother for one of their nighttime chats and now his brain was exploding. "Like an actual date? Our brother? The one that hates people? On a date? With an actual real, live human?" 

John, is going to kill me, Scott groaned to himself and shot a glare at his brother's back. Virgil, for his part, gave no fucks and ignored him. 

"Obviously with a human, who else would he be with?" 

"I don't know, I wouldn't put it past him to make himself a girlfriend," Gordon tossed in, having apparently wandered into the conversation at the best time. 

Scott's epic glare switched focus to spear the aquanaut right between the eyes. Not that it did anything to shut him up. He was losing his touch, once upon a time being the eldest had meant something, it gave him the power to command his siblings, now it just gave him a headache. 

"Who the hell would he be dating?" Alan was still stuck on the fact that his brother appeared to have some kind of secret life none of them knew about. 

Gordon poked a few buttons on his phone before grinning in triumph."Ha! I knew it!" He turned the phone to show them the screen, which showed a tiny map somewhere on the outskirts of London and two tiny dots inside a theater. "There's only one person he'd be with that lives in London." 

"Penelope!" Alan gasped, shocked to his core and feeling like he was unable to deal with any more surprises. 

"Hell no!" Gordon growled in denial, glaring before he realised what he had done, immediately smoothing out his face as if it had never happened. "No, I forgot you weren't with us when we dropped that witch home last week."

"W...Witch?"Brains asked as he too joined the mass of people in the kitchen. Scott threw up his hands in defeat and prepared to message his brother an apology at his betrayal."Is she here? I was h…hoping to talk to her about those broom fragments you found. The wood itself is… is a normal substance but there is something soaked into the cells that I just cannot identify. It's fascinating really, maybe I could talk to her?" 

"Wait, Brains, you aren't actually believing that she might be an actual, real, broomstick flying witch, are you? I mean, people are entitled to their religious beliefs but that's a bit much." Scott had to ask, he wasn't trying to be rude but really, that was firmly in the realm of fantasy novels and kids stories. 

"Well, you see, Sc…Scott, all energy is able to be manipulated and turned into something else, and science is just one of those ways. If this woman has found a way to do something similar, but in a different way, then it's not something I am prepared to ignore."

Virgil grinned slyly. "It doesn't matter at the moment, she's not here, but I'm sure John could help you get in touch with her." Scott aimed a punch at his brother, who deftly avoided it and scooted around behind Alan to use him as a shield. 

"John?" 

"They're on a date!" Alan screamed at the poor bespectacled man who had no clue what all the fuss was about. 

Scott began to fear that he would never speak to his middle brother again… 

***

Selene loved the way his gorgeous face lit up when he talked about his world. She knew space and the universe on a metaphysical level, all energetic power and moon phases, retrograde planets and astrological signs. Hell, her name was that of a moon goddess. But he knew the mechanics of it, the why's, the where's, the what's and the how's. He had not only been to space, he practically lived there and his body oozed energy that was almost giving her a contact high just from her arm brushing against his. He didn't realise just how much power he had soaked up from floating around out in orbit. For a Witch like her he was the most amazing man she had ever met, and she knew Gods, demons, vampires, shifters and everything in between. No, this was a human being who straddled the line into her world without even knowing it. 

She itched to touch him, to plaster herself against his body and just soak him in like hot sun on a beach. She could listen to him talking forever, because she had been right in saying he had a sexy voice, but the lights dimmed and the opening music of the trailers began to play, cutting off all further attempts at conversation. 

John felt like everyone was watching him, wondering what he was doing there and his anxiety had begun to creep in. In the heat of a rescue, or when surrounded by his brothers he was fine, he had something to focus on, somewhere he felt in control, but here he was totally out of his depth. 

He was trying to concentrate on the action playing out on screen and ignore the sea of people that surrounded him. Crowds were not his friends, and this was the reason he preferred to wait and watch movies at home. He couldn't remember the last time he had even entered a movie theater voluntarily and tonight would have been no exception, if not for her. 

He felt hyper aware of every single person in the dark room, their crunching, their soft whispers, nasally breathing and the odd cough. Not to mention the woman that sat beside him. He almost jumped out of his seat when her hand delved into the popcorn bucket still perched in his lap like a shield, 'look, I'm normal, I have popcorn! Nothing to see here!' 

Without taking her eyes off the projection, he knew because he was watching her, she lifted the handful of popcorn to his lips. What did she expect him to do with that? His answer came when she gently bumped the crunchy kernels against his mouth and he dutifully opened up and allowed a few of the sweet morsels entry. Obviously satisfied with his contribution to the proceedings she threw the rest into her own mouth and crunched happily. 

She helped herself to a few more handfuls, offering him a bite each time then slurped on the straw of the giant drink, offering him the same. Thoughts of germs and cross contamination swam through his mind but he pushed them aside. Technically she had already kissed him, if you counted the brief thank you peck she had bestowed upon him the night of her rescue, so sharing a straw couldn't be that bad. 

It appeared she had relatively good taste in drinks as she had chosen an apple flavour, the fizzy tartness hit his tongue and buzzed there pleasantly before he swallowed. She seemed to be content with that and leant forward to place the cup on the floor but instead of settling herself fully back into her seat she lifted the arm rest that separated them. Once that was accomplished she wormed her arm under his, tucking his arm against her chest as her fingers slid down to entwine with his. Her free arm moved to slide around his waist as she snuggled close and got comfortable, her head pillowed against his shoulder. 

How was she so comfortable with touching him in such an easy manner? He would have been a nervous wreck to even think about holding her hand, let alone anything else. Maybe, he mentally reasoned, she remembered the confident way he had touched her during their first meeting. But that had been a totally different situation, she had been in danger and he had been there to help her. Then he had had no choice but to hold her close and keep her safe. 

His cheeks burned as he recalled the way her body had nestled against his and he was suddenly thankful for the dark of the theater and the bucket on his lap. He was never affected in such a way by the mere thought of a person, he had far more control over himself than that, but it seemed that one touch from her and his body went full renegade, ignoring all his demands to behave in an appropriate manner. 

Sele knew she was likely pushing his boundaries but, although he had tensed up and looked like he was about to bolt for the door any second, he had stayed put. She had to give him props for that. She didn't know what was going to happen between them,or if anything even could, but all of her friends knew that she was a touchy-feely type of person, most witches were, and that she was always one to hug and cuddle people. She wasn't about to change who she was for anyone, not even someone as fascinating as him. He would just have to get used to that or even friendship between them wouldn't work. 

As she snuggled closer to his side she allowed her inner witch to reach out to the energy that buzzed through him, draining some of it off into her own body. Damn he was full of the stuff, she would just bet that he had times of extreme wakefulness, excess energy, hyperactivity and an overactive mind because of it. 

Even as she thought it she felt his body relax into his chair, his fingers tightening on hers briefly before he took his own handful of popcorn. She tapped her fingers against his ribs where her arm lay across his middle to get his attention then lifted her head and opening her mouth, making her needs very clear. She badly wanted to laugh, though didn't dare, when he hurriedly tossed the popcorn into his mouth and then, with a degree of concentration that she really didn't think was needed, selected a couple of plump looking kernels and gently laid them on her tongue. 

He was so fucking adorable! How could someone that went through as much as he did, stay so pure? He was the literal definition of a cinnamon roll, too pure for this world. If it had been anyone else she would have been tempted to suck his fingers into her mouth and give him a sexy eyed look that made her meaning very clear, but for him she could be good. She would wait until the end of time for him to be comfortable with her. 

She had spent the first few days after her rescue reading up on his organisation, learning that they weren't some covert operation run by the government as she had thought, but a highly secretive and apparently privately funded rescue team. Made sense.

She knew they were related, that much had been obvious not just by what she had overheard but the way they interacted with each other and it hadn't taken long to Google their first names as a unit and come across their family. They were beyond rich, beyond powerful and apparently beyond belief. She didn't know what demon their parents had bargained with to get not one, two or even three talented kids, but five. She had thought they were simply employed by the organisation but no, they jointly owned and run the whole shebang. She didn't know how they could possibly stay a secret, it was pretty obvious and easy to find out once you knew a few details, but maybe, like her, no one else had said a word either. If good guys were out there risking their ass to help people, you didn't fuck them over by ruining their lives. 

She didn't know how people that had seen such shit as they had, could possibly stay so nice. How could they continue to go out of their way to help people when the rest of the world was doing everything they could to destroy? 

It gave her a new found belief that there were still good people in the world, selfless, caring people that were so bloody special. 

She had known that she wanted to see him again, but had been unable to find out much of anything about him on social media except a list of his various degrees and accomplishments. He'd been around about 4 years ago, mostly tagged into other people's pictures or snapped at some event or another, but he never looked happy to be there, like he wished he was anywhere else on earth, or in his case, likely above it. After that he had vanished, no new posts to his accounts or any other public appearances. He was a ghost, a mysterious man who no one seemed to know, which just made him all the more rare and interesting. 

She had finally called when it seemed obvious that he wasn't going to, determined to give him a chance. And she was glad she had even though he was as stiff as a board and obviously uncomfortable, he was still there. That was saying something. 

She realised that she hadn't really been paying attention to the movie, and apparently neither was he. She rolled her eyes upwards to check on him but found him staring at her as one would a particularly interesting specimen under a microscope. She wasn't insulted, most people found her a bit odd at first too and at least he wasn't being rude about it. 

Shifting in her seat she lifted her lips to his ear to whisper "You want to get out of here?" 

***

He couldn't explain it, but as soon as she touched him, rather than start looking around desperately for a way to escape, he had actually felt a sense of calm steal over him. He felt his heart rate slow a little, his breathing deepen and his body relax and he actually allowed himself to begin to enjoy the situation. He still wasn't paying any attention to the movie, finding his gaze drawn towards her over and over again until he gave up all pretence and simply stared at her, taking in every tiny little detail and storing it away in his computer like brain. Maybe this wasn't so bad after all. 

He laid his free arm across hers where it rested against his stomach, wanting to keep the contact between them as much as possible. Selene shifted sightly and her hair brushed against his hand, catching his attention. Was it as soft as it looked? Absently his fingers wound their way through a few strands, his thumb caressing in a soft back and forth motion. This felt easier somehow, like he didn't have to think too hard. He liked it. 

So when she suddenly moved and spoke he felt panic overwhelm him for a second, his usual insecurities rushing back in to crowd out his brain. Had she caught him staring at her? Had he fucked up the only date he'd been on in almost four years by being an uptight weirdo? Fucked up so bad she wanted to cut and run before the movie had even finished? Should he not have touched her like that? What did he do wrong? 

He forced himself to calm down and be logical about it, something he usually excelled at. She hadn't pulled away, she was still holding his hand, and she didn't seem angry. Maybe it would be OK to be honest with her…that's what he really wanted, what he dreamed about in the silent, lonely times aboard 5, having someone he could be completely honest and himself with. Taking a deep breath he offered her his trust and nodded. 

She gave him a smile that did much to relieve his worries, and he allowed her to take the bucket from his lap and drag him to his feet. He even managed to laugh when she plonked the popcorn down in a random person's lap with a cheery "enjoy" before towing him out of the darkened room. 

Outside in the foyer was quieter, almost deserted now the movies were all playing and he was able to breathe properly. She didn't let go of his hand as she guided him towards the doors. 

"How about we just grab some food to go and find ourselves a nice, quiet spot somewhere, huh?" 

She was offering him a lifeline, a get out of jail free card and he gratefully accepted. 

"I'm just sorry you're missing the movie."

She shrugged. "I wasn't paying it much attention anyway, it wasn't really my type of film."

He frowned at her, a creasing of his brow that was utterly adorable. "Why did you say you wanted to go then?" 

She raised an eyebrow, but instead of answering she countered with a question of her own. "If you don't like going to the movies, why did you agree to come?" 

He had the look of a deer in headlights, all wide eyes and slightly panicked breathing but she knew he wasn't one to back down from a question or a challenge. She liked the way he tapped into that core of inner strength she knew he had, lifted his chin and stared her down as he answered."I wanted to see you again." 

She grinned, stopping and rising up on her tiptoes, giving him ample opportunity to put some distance between them if he needed it, before she leant closer and pressed her lips lightly against his, just a brief touch and then gone. 

"Exactly." 

Exactly? What the hell did she mean by that? He mentally rewound their conversation and… Oh. 

A full, genuine smile curved his lips and damn, did the sight of it warm her down to her toes. He was so freaking handsome but he genuinely didn't have a clue that he was model perfect. She tugged on his hand, propelling them both forward and they began to walk. 

***

"The movie can't be over already, they weren't in there more than half an hour?" Alan leant over his brother's shoulder, staring at the phone screen as Gordon touched the button to pull up the alert he had set. 

Using a trick he had learnt from the self same brother he was currently spying on, Gordon hacked into the movie theaters CCTV. You never knew when you would need some good, old fashioned blackmail material and it was about time he gave John a run for his money. He just knew that his brother had a massive file tucked away somewhere filled with his embarrassing moments, so now it was his turn. 

Poor John was being dragged out of the doors like he was going to his death and neither were surprised to see the pair stop and the woman round on their brother. 

"I think Johnny boy might have fucked up…" Gordon muttered, zooming in for a closer look. They appeared to be talking, the witch having backed the Tracy into a corner against a wall simply by talking to him. He was done for, he'd never leave his craft again. 

They were fully prepared to alert someone, probably Scott, to go and fetch their wreck of a brother, so shocked didn't even cover it when the witch suddenly kissed a scared looking John. 

"Scott's gonna need a stretcher because John's about to go full on comatosed," Alan commented. 

"I'm gonna need a what now?" Scott appeared behind them, making them both jump. He caught a look at the screen and groaned. "Are you seriously spying on his date? Really? What are you, twelve? Give him some privacy."

"We aren't spying!" Gordon protested. "We're looking out for him."

"And silently supporting," Alan threw in. 

Scott didn't look like he believed them but their attention was caught by the wide smile that adorned their brothers face as the witch towed him down the street, her grip on his hand never releasing. 

"I think he's doing OK on his own," Scott grinned, ruffling the boys hair as a distraction before he grabbed the phone and disappeared it into his pocket. "Now stop being weird."

***

She obviously knew the area well, directing him as they slowly wandered, hand in hand, down the street. We almost look like a normal couple, he mused in wonderment, doing a normal thing. When was the last time he had known normal? It seemed like he had always been the odd one out. He loved his family more than anything, but he didn't always feel like he fitted in as well as the others did. He thought back over all the other relationships he'd had and they all ended the same way, he was too distant, too uptight, too precise and too literal. He made people nervous, he made them feel uncomfortable with his cool assessing of a situation and quiet nature. He never got the jokes that others did, he never volunteered to join in. He was a nerd at school, a genius at University but an idiot when it came to people. Oh, he knew how to behave, how to play along, how to make people think he was fine, but in truth he rarely ever was unless he was keeping busy. 

He found himself enjoying the way she didn't feel the need to fill the silence between them, as well as the way she hugged his arm as they walked. She stopped near a simple van selling burgers that smelt unbelievably good. He knew he shouldn't be surprised that she had picked something so cheap to eat, after all, she'd paid for their tickets and snacks before he'd even gotten there, so she obviously wasn't after him for his money. Not that she even knows who I am, he reminded himself, cursing their need for secrecy. It was one secret that he couldn't share with just anyone and she hadn't been investigated or approved yet. 

They ordered a burger each and a bag of fries to share, along with two bottles of water, all of which she insisted on paying for because she had been the one to invite him out. He tried to argue but she had already plonked her thumb on the terminal before he could stop her, staring him down with a 'don't you dare argue with me' look. 

"Fine," he grumbled. "But I'm paying next time." It took him a few seconds to realise that he had assumed there would be a next time without asking her and was about to apologise when she answered. 

"Deal."

She was typing on her phone, leaning against the side of the van as they waited for their food and he felt the loss of her hand in his. He could kick himself for being so hesitant, it wasn't like him normally, he was usually so in control, so decisive and in charge. Why couldn't he be like that when it came to anything other than work? He never questioned his instincts when he was coordinating rescues and ordering people around, he was a fly by the seat of his pants, take risks kinda guy, but when it came to social interaction he froze. 

He was so done letting it dictate his life! He was so done worrying about doing or saying the wrong thing. She seemed different, she felt different, she seemed to instinctively understand in a way that few others did. Could he throw caution to the wind and take a leap of faith? Could he trust himself in her hands the way she had done with him? He couldn't be sure, but he realised that he really wanted to try. 

He strode forward before he could talk himself out of it and, as confidently as he could, slipped his arm around her shoulders, just as he had the night they met. He braced himself for her to pull away but she didn't, she sagged comfortably against him, trusting him to support her weight as she slid her arm around the back of his waist. 

There was that calm again, that feeling that everything would be alright. Her face was tipped up to look at him, and he was once again struck by just how perfect she was. Her nose was a little too long to be fashionable, her eyes large and a dazzling shade of blue that reminded him of the ocean, her lips were pump and he knew they were as soft as they looked. 

She'd kissed him twice now, surely she wouldn't be against the idea of him doing the same? He wasn't a novice when it came to women, he just had to be comfortable with them, to know that they actually welcomed his affections. She might give him a sense of calm, but he wasn't immune to the other effects of being near her. He wanted her, wanted to kiss her and touch her and do all those things that he probably shouldn't be thinking about right now. 

Apparently his body knew what it wanted to do even if his mind was unsure and trying to talk him out of it. It took over, ignoring the panicked yelling in his head. 

His arm slipped from her shoulders down to the small of her back tugging her closer as he dipped his head to meet hers… 

A sharp cough made them jump apart before contact was made. John grabbed the food bag from the server with a quick word of thanks, his body screaming in denial. 

***

"He's made a move!"

"Well done, bro! Honestly I never thought he would be that slick."

They both groaned as the two love birds sprang apart, interrupted before the good stuff and took their food.

"So unfair."

"But look…" Alan pointed at his tablet screen when, to their intense delight, the pair drifted easily back together, their brother's arm going back around his date as they left with their food. 

"You know, I don't think we have to worry about him any more tonight," Gordon smiled affectionately as he cut the connection and handed the device back to his brother. "Let's leave them in peace for now."

***

Even though it was the outskirts of London she appeared to live on a very quiet street, in a small flat on the top floor of an eight storey apartment building. He had been hesitant at first when she told him that she was taking him home, but he had dutifully followed. Now he was glad that he had. 

She had led the way up past her own door to a flight of stairs that led to the roof, which she had unlocked with her hand print. 

"No one else but the owner has access and she's pagan too, so I never have to worry about being disturbed."

His eyes widened as he took in the miniature jungle she had created up there. Large trees in big pots were arranged in a wide circle, as well as smaller pots of herbs and night blooming flowers. Large chunks of crystals in all varieties imaginable were dotted in every available spot. There was a tinkling fountain in one corner, a small fire pit in another as well as a larger one in the center of the circle, candles in glass holders were placed here and there, some lanterns hanging from the tree branches and lastly a wooden chest. She quickly set him to work lighting some of the lanterns and candles while from the chest she dragged out a number of pillows and blankets which she tossed down on the ground. It was then he realised that a five pointed star had been painted on the ground. 

"This is quite different to what I expected," he allowed. "It's nice, calming, quiet."

"Well, you could have said worse." She smiled to show she was joking then took the food bag from him, crossing into the circle to plonk down on the pillow nest. When he just stood there like a statue she patted a spot next to her in invitation. 

He sank gracefully down on the blanket beside her and took the burger she offered, accepting the fry that followed. He took a bite of the burger and almost moaned at how good it tasted. Food was something he rarely gave much thought to, it was simple things that could be easily preserved and heated in 5 and mostly burnt offerings on the island, so he'd grown used to only eating when he had to as opposed to when he wanted to. The times he's been dating they had always had to go to fancy restaurants or nights out that he'd rather have avoided. 

But this, this here with her was easy, and it was simple and if he could just stop worrying about making a fool out of himself it would probably be comfortable too. He liked that.

They ate their food, sharing the fries between them, sipping their water and just talking. It felt good to be able to talk about some of the things he had seen and done, even though he was careful not to give too many details away. He felt like he didn't have to hide from her, he didn't have to pretend to be enjoying himself when he wasn't, not like with others. 

When she tossed their food wrappers back in the bag and laid down on her back on the blankets he found himself joining in, stretching out alongside her. 

"Sorry we can't see much right now, hazard of living near the capital, light pollution, but I guess you see enough of them most days to make this quite boring."

He shook his head. "I could never grow tired of seeing them." He looked back up at the dark sky, seeing the odd star peeking out here and there. Unable to help himself he fell into lecture mode, a space where he felt calm and in control, pointing out each star and naming it in turn. 

She asked a few questions and asked where the more commonly known constellations would be, and he found himself holding her hand, guiding it as he mapped out the sky for her. 

She'd shifted closer as they talked, as if pulled by some magnetic force, her eyes often watching his face more than the sky he was so absorbed in. She could almost feel the passion and energy bubbling away inside him, she could see how animated he got when talking about something he loved, how confident he grew. 

Eventually he wound down, seeming to either run out of words or realise he'd been talking for too long and came to a halt. He ruffled a hand through his hair, as if embarrassed that he'd let himself go that much but she didn't mind a bit. She didn't want him to stop, or to ever feel that way with her and said the first thing she thought of to continue the conversation. 

"I bet it's beautiful up there." 

"It is."

She heard his wistful sigh and had a second of feeling bad for taking him away from it, from his true love but then he turned his head to look at her. 

"But it's just as beautiful down here." Using his grip on her hand he tugged her closer still, pulling her down onto his chest. 

***

She could never have imagined how good their first real kiss would actually feel, because it went beyond anything she could have dreamt up. 

She'd expected, and would have been perfectly happy with, a soft kiss like she had given him, and it had started out that way. But, as she was learning, when John Tracy was serious about something he put his heart and soul into it. 

Soft brushes of his lips against hers, kisses that gained in pressure, length and intensity as he gained his confidence. She shivered when she felt the first tentative swipe of his tongue across the seam of her lips and she immediately opened for him, granting access. 

He hadn't meant to kiss her like that, it had just happened, but he was so glad he had. He didn't know where his words had come from or his boldness but now he had broken through that barrier nothing was going to stop him. She had just looked so beautiful laying there, letting him talk about his favourite things, never once trying to stop him or change the subject and he had let himself act on pure instinct. He'd said the first thing that came to mind, uncaring if he sounded like an idiot. He wanted to touch her, he wanted to sample her soft lips again and he hadn't wanted to wait for her to make a move.

He'd pulled at her hand, loving the way she went effortlessly, rolling until they were practically nose to nose. It had been a simple matter of lifting his head and closing the scant few centimetres that separated them. 

He'd started soft but soon it wasn't enough, his tongue flicking out, pushing its way between her plump lips and delving in to twine with her own. He loved the soft, breathy little moan she let out, loved the way that she let him take control. 

His arms encircled her, one hand resting on the small of her back while the other climbed higher to wind a handful of that soft hair around his fist, holding her in place as he deepened the kiss. 

This was good, this felt right. He felt the thrum of arousal pounding through his body, his heart hammering in his chest as it sent every available scrap of blood in his body zooming downwards. 

By the time they eventually parted, panting for breath she had moved to straddle his lap, her knees either side of his hips, sitting on the very spot where all his lost blood had collected. He was hard, aching to rip away the clothing that separated their bodies and join with her fully. They were pressed together, chest to chest and he could feel the hard points of her breasts against his skin.

He moved to kiss her again, drawn like a magnet to her lips when she started to giggle, her forehead resting against his. 

He was frowning, she could feel it and didn't want that. Did he think she was laughing at him? 

"Damn, Star Boy, I was starting to think you didn't like me."

His own surprised chuckle rumbled in his chest as they both dissolved into laughter, simply enjoying the moment. 

Once they had calmed down she moved away only long enough to light the wood that waited in the fire pit, declaring it to be getting chilly. 

They talked for hours, simply enjoying each other's company. Now that he knew she would welcome his touch he did it often, stroking her fingers, pulling her in for kiss after kiss in between discussions. Every time the urge struck him he went with it, and he had never felt so free anywhere but his beloved space. 

He realised then that he wanted to share it with her, he wanted to share every part of his life with her, he was sick of hiding away. She made him feel like he was actually special when really she was the special one. 

4am found him lying with his head on her lap, her fingers combing through his hair, his eyes half closed as he simply enjoyed the peace and the feel of a simple, loving touch. Dawn was just creeping over the horizon and the fire had long since burnt out. 

He smiled when her fingers stroked the length of his cheek, catching her hand to bring it to his lips to kiss them lightly. 

"I suppose I should leave soon and let you get some rest, it's late."

"Or its early, depending on how you look at it." She bent down to steal another kiss, loving the way he lifted to meet her half way. "You don't have to go unless you need to, you could stay for a bit longer. No funny business, just lay with me for a while, yeah?" 

***

Her room was relaxing, her bed was soft and she was warm at his side, fitting against him like she'd been made to his exact specifications. Once again simply touching her filled him with a sense of calm, the over abundance of energy he usually had melting away. And,for the first time in years he slept deeply, peacefully, without worrying about the rest of the world because at that moment the center of his world was right there with him.


	3. Footsteps from Above.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes you just need a night off.

Selene pressed the button on her tablet, selected a movie and sent it whizzing to her projector. She had indulged in an hour long bath with lots of bubbles and was now clad in purple and black striped pyjamas. Her wet hair was tied up in a messy bun on top of her head and she was curled up on the couch under a blanket. With a bag of potato chips and a can of Cherry Coke on the coffee table, she was set for the night. She wasn't moving for anything. 

Her phone dinged, disturbing her peace and she glared at it, not wanting to be bothered with work that late at night. Her glare turned into a smile when she saw the message. It was only one line, but it was enough. Open the door. 

She jumped up, forgetting for a second just what a state she looked and threw open the door. Empty hallway. She frowned, looking this way and that. Then she heard a knock.

Was he crazy? How the hell…she crossed the hall, hoping none of her neighbours were about and placed her hand on the lock screen. The door to the roof swung open to reveal John standing there, looking all long, lean and so damn delicious in his uniform that she just wanted to eat him. 

Daily texts and long, in depth conversations were now the norm, something he looked forward to whenever he had the time, but they weren't as good as seeing her in the flesh. 

He hadn't seen her since the morning after their date and while he'd loved getting to know her better from the safety of his craft he hadn't been able to resist the idea of taking a few hours out to visit the witch. 

He'd been feeling restless, which for him was almost unheard of, unable to settle down to just one task. For once space wasn't where he wanted to be. Sending a message to Virgil, since Scott could no longer be trusted, he'd docked his elevator on her roof and sent it back up to 5 before remembering that the roof door would be locked. Sure he probably could have unlocked it remotely in a matter of seconds. But his way was more fun. 

She swung open the door and once again she took his breath away. She was dressed in comfy clothes, not a scrap of makeup on her face and her hair was piled up on top of her head making her look rather sweet and innocent, something he knew for a fact she wasn't. 

He opened his arms and she was in them in a instant. Her skin smelt fresh and flowery, she was all soft and warm in her pyjamas and she melted against his chest as if she was meant to be there. Yes, this was exactly what he had needed. 

"Do I get a kiss?" he asked in what he hoped was a teasing tone, though he could admit to himself that he'd had moments of being plagued with the thought that she might have changed her mind about him or regretted their time together. 

"I thought you'd never ask, Space Man." She slid her hand up to cup the back of his head and pulled his lips down to meet hers. She pecked little kisses against his lips, just enjoying the soft feel of them, their fullness and the way they curved into a smile that she could feel against her own. 

Needing more she deepened the kiss. She was conscious of the fact that they were in a semi public place and she didn't want to get carried away but she found it very hard to resist him. . She let her tongue peek out, just a touch against the seam of his mouth but it was enough. He parted for her, allowing access. He tasted of coffee and something slightly spicy, warm and inviting, just like him. Just being near him started a fire in her belly, the blood heating in her veins. Would anyone really notice if she let her hands wander a little? No! Behave Selene, she scolded her inner hussy. 

With an inner strength she hadn't known she possessed she pulled back, breaking the kiss with a breathy little sigh. "Mmm, did I mention that I missed you?" 

"No, I don't believe you did."

"How remiss of me." She kissed him again, just a tiny one. "I missed you."

"I missed you too."

"I can see this," she laughed, "since you're on my roof." She looked down at her outfit, realising too late that she looked a sloppy mess. How embarrassing, this was not how she wanted him to see her. "You'll have to excuse me, I'm not really dressed for doing anything other than vegging out on the couch for a few hours, and don't even look at my face, but if you have a little time to spare, I'd definitely enjoy the company."

"That sounds perfect." A few hours, just the two of them, no other people to worry about, that was his idea of heaven.

"Good, because it's all you're gonna get tonight, I am not in the mood to deal with the outside world." 

***

He wouldn't have picked this kind of movie, it was over a hundred years old, something she called a Hammer Horror and was so primitive in its effects that it really was quite funny, but she seemed to enjoy it. 

A bag of potato chips sat in her lap, which she was feeding him at random intervals in between bites of her own. 

She'd snuggled under his arm, her legs draped over his and seemed perfectly content to stay there for the rest of the night, but being so close was making him feel a tad too warm in his suit. He didn't want her to move and usually he would have just suffered in silence, internally screaming at himself for not being bold enough to do something about it, but he was trying to be different with her. She'd pushed the point home to him that he should never be afraid to ask for what he wanted or needed, even if it was just with her, making him promise to never hold back from fear of the consequences. It was a lesson that didn't come easily for him, but he was making a conscious effort. 

"Would you mind if I just…" he waved his hand vaguely towards the front of his suit. 

She lifted her head to look at him. "If you just what?" 

He shrugged awkwardly. "I'm a bit hot," he explained, easing the zip of his suit down a few inches to get a little air. 

She stared at him in disbelief. "Did you seriously just ask if you could do something to make yourself more comfortable? Dude, you do not have to do that, you don't have to ask, just do it."

"I…I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable."

She rolled her eyes so hard he was surprised they didn't fall out of her head. She swung her legs off his, wiggled out from under his arm and sat up, turning to face him. 

"Sweetheart, listen to me, because I'm only going to say this once," she took his hand in hers, softly kissing his knuckles. "You paying attention?" 

He nodded dutifully. 

"I want you."

He blinked, that sudden panicked look obvious on his face. Right now? This minute? He'd not had time to prepare himself for this! What if he and certain parts of his anatomy got stage fright? What if everything went wrong and she never wanted to see him again? 

"You stopped listening, didn't you?" 

He shook his head dumbly, but he could tell she didn't buy his lie for a second. 

"I'll slow it down for you, Star Boy, " she tugged on his hand until he allowed her to lace her fingers with his own. 

"I want you. All of you. Not just the good parts, not just the bits that you want me to see, but all of you."

He nodded in answer when she arched an eyebrow at him. 

"You still don't get it, that or you don't believe me, it'll take time. But here's the thing, we have plenty of it. We aren't on a time frame, we aren't on a schedule, there is no set route you have to plot or certain way you have to do things. I want you to be comfortable with me, with us, as much as you possibly can be, and that includes making sure you are physically comfortable. I'll be here whenever you want or need me, for whatever you want or need."

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to listen to her words, to what she was actually saying rather than what he thought she meant. 

"I'm not saying that I don't fully intend to lick every single inch of you sometime in the future, the when is up to you. But don't for one single second think that you could ever do anything to make me feel uncomfortable, because you can't and you won't. So don't let your concerns for my welfare get confused with your own."

She squeezed his hand, emphasising her point. "I'm a toucher, I'm affectionate, I like giving and receiving. I'll touch you, I'll hug you and I'll kiss you whenever the urge takes me, but here's the thing, you can say no. You won't offend me, I won't get angry, you won't put me off and I won't back away from you, I'll just respect that you don't need that right now. Don't ever think that just because I touch you, that you have to do the same, or that you have to sit silently and put up with it. You can tell me to stop."

She rubbed her nose against his, smiling when he automatically tipped his head back to offer his lips for a soft kiss.

"And don't ever think that just because you want a kiss I'll assume you want more, or that you can't stop anything at any time, affection is not a right, it's a privilege, in any form it takes."

She dropped his hand and hauled herself up from the couch. "I'm gonna order pizza, you want pizza?" 

He stared after her in confusion as she vanished into the kitchen, leaving him alone on the couch, lost in his own thoughts as her words swirled around in his head. 

How did she do that? How did she seem to know exactly what he was thinking and what he was worrying about, when he had absolutely no clue what to make of her? He'd put it down to the witch thing if he truly believed her to be what she claimed, but he suspected it was more because she cared enough to look deeper, to notice the things that he often kept hidden, and to understand how his mind worked. 

She was right, he'd been worrying if she would grow tired of him and his self conscious doubts. People always thought he hated all kinds of affection but they were wrong. He didn't hate affection, he just liked it at his own pace. It took him a while to find his comfort zone with someone new, his brain just didn't work the way others did. 

He'd been accused of blowing hot and cold, of wanting affection on his terms, and he supposed they were right. He enjoyed kissing with the right person, but he wasn't totally comfortable with the thought of it always having to go further, and when, inevitably, his insecurities kicked in and panic overrode him, he pulled back, needing space. 

He wanted to believe that she understood and that she wouldn't think badly of him, but past experiences coloured everything he thought and did. 

***

Whomp! A pile of something soft smacked him in the face. 

"Put those on while I run down and collect the pizza, the delivery guy refuses to take the stairs."

She was gone a second later, the door banging shut behind her. He unfolded the clothes, finding a massively large T-shirt that depicted Stonehenge and a pair of plain sweat pants. 

Doubting she would take no for an answer he kicked off his boots and stripped off his suit. He pulled the soft material over his head, noticing that it smelt like her. He inhaled deeply, feeling instantly calmer. He tugged on the sweats, which were a little too short and slightly snug around the waist but serviceable. 

He could hear her clattering up the stairs and she burst through the door a moment later to find him dressed and seated back on her couch. She'd given him one of the shirts she slept in as well as her biggest sweats, it was all she had that stood a chance of fitting him. 

"Better?" She dumped the box on the table and plonked down next to him, noting that his suit was neatly folded next to his boots on the floor. 

"Much, thank you."

She didn't acknowledge his thank you, because there was no reason for it, instead she opened the box, the delicious smell of baked dough, tomatoes and melted cheese filling the room. "I just went with plain because I wasn't sure what you'd liked and sometimes simple is best. People always try to complicate things that don't need to be that way." Her words we casual but her meaning was clear, what they had didn't need to be complicated, he didn't need to overthink things, they just needed to be enjoyed for what they were. 

"Perfect, I haven't had pizza, well, not good pizza, in so long." He helped himself to a slice, and took an experimental bite. A low moan of appreciation escaped as the flavour hit his tongue. 

"That's a good sound," she teased, "let me try it." She pulled his hand close and nibbled on his slice. "You're right, that is good."

She took a slice of her own and settled back to watch the movie. 

He hadn't realised how hungry he actually was until he'd taken that first bite. He practically inhaled the first two slices, only slowing down to savour the rest when his stomach stopped demanding he fill it. He ate steadily, accepting each extra slice she offered him until he was about ready to slip into a contented food coma. 

Half way through her third slice and she was done. Honestly she hadn't been that hungry, she just wanted to make sure that he had eaten. She tossed the half eaten slice back into the box but missed, the crust catching the edge of the box and flopping to the floor. 

With an annoyed huff she bent down to pick it up at the same time he reached to catch it. 

She didn't know which of them leant in first, who's lips sought out the others but the second they made contact she was lost. 

To say that he affected her would be the understatement of the century. Kissing John Tracy could almost be counted as a religious experience. He made her forget everything but him, the world fading into nothing but the two of them. 

His lips brushed hers in a soft kiss, the sweetest, most loving she had ever experienced. 

"Sorry, you just look so beautiful tonight."

She snorted in disbelief. "Yeah, right, in sloppy pj's and scraped back hair, I look just peachy. I wouldn't blame you if you ran away and never came back."

He shook his head, unable to believe that she didn't see just how perfect she was, and for the first time he realised that he might not be the only one with self esteem issues. He wanted to give her the confidence she gave him, to speak to her the way she did him. He knew he wasn't always good at saying the right thing when it came to social interactions, but he owed it to her to try. 

"You look more beautiful every time I see you, just in a different way. This," he waved his hand towards her, "this is you, just as much as the witch look is you. This is you bare to me, no masks, no armour, just as I am." He pointed to his uniform on the floor. "This isn't the International Rescue operative or the witch, this is just us, and I like that you are the only person other than my family, that I feel I can be myself with." He spoke the truth, spoke from his heart, and hoped like hell he hadn't just fucked up, big time. 

***  
Fuck, she was in so much trouble. When it came to him she was so weak and in very real danger of losing not just her head to him, but her heart too. 

She took him by surprise when she flung her arms around his neck and hugged him as if she would never let go. His arms curled around her, holding her close, his nose buried in her neck, breathing in her calming essence and he closed his eyes. 

Selene clung to her heroic spaceman like he was the last solid thing on earth. He'd shaken her with the sincerity of his words and the honest truth she'd seen on his face. Gods, she'd only known him a few short weeks but already the thought of him not being in her life was too horrifying to even contemplate. 

Turning her head she let her lips wander, feathering soft kisses across his jaw. A light sprinkling of stubble dusted his skin, rasping her lips with each kiss and she couldn't resist giving his flesh a little nibble. 

"Did you not eat enough pizza?" he chuckled. 

"You're just too tasty to resist," she cupped his cheek and turned his head to face her. She kissed her way to his lips, peppering them with soft pecks, slowly gaining in pressure and length. "I can't resist you, Star Boy." 

"Then don't." 

She captured his lips again and this time she didn't stop. Smaller kisses that grew in intensity. His tongue darted into her mouth and she met it with her own. 

He tightened his arms around her and lifted her onto his lap, needing her closer. 

She could feel his heart pounding against her chest, hammering in sync with each other, their breath mingling, unable to catch enough breath. 

Finally coming up for air she absently licked her lips, which felt tender and well loved. She could taste him there, he infused her senses like a drug and she was well aware that she was already hopelessly addicted. 

At least she wasn't the only one affected by their kiss if the slightly glazed look in his eyes and the lump she was currently sitting on were any indication. 

Trying to gather her scattered wits, she slid carefully off his lap, reaching for her drink and taking a healthy gulp. 

"So," she started, glancing at the projection screen that had long since gone blank, "another movie?" 

***

His soft, even breathing tickled across her neck with each exhale, his heart thumping solidly against her side. 

She continued combing her fingers lightly through his hair, having lulled him to sleep over an hour before. They had ended up stretched out full length on the couch, chest to chest, the projector now pointing to the ceiling. 

"You'd be so easy to fall in love with, Mr Tracy," she stroked the hair back from his face, unable to stop looking at him. "I'm gonna have to be so careful with you. You have no idea just how special you are, how selfless and amazing, you and your family. Whatever happens between us, I know you're something I will never regret."

She risked stealing a quick kiss, his lips like a siren call she was unable to resist. He smiled lightly, his arm tightening around her waist as the ever vigilant space monitor continued to sleep.


	4. They Shall Go To The Ball.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An invitation to Penelope's charity ball makes for an interesting second date.

"OK, this is much nicer than I was expecting."

"And what exactly did you expect from a charity ball being organised by a Lady?" 

"I don't know, but I wasn't expecting to be in a hotel so posh that I'd leave footprints in the carpet and you could swim in the bath… Ooh bath! I bet both of us could fit in that thing. How about we try later?" 

"Stop trying to tempt me. This is our second official date and I mean to do it right."

She slipped her arms around his waist, tipping her head back for one of his addictive kisses. He happily complied but broke off far too soon for her liking. "Tempting me again, you're trouble. We'll be late if we don't get ready." 

Already the thought of spending the whole night together, in a hotel room, was filling his mind with so many ideas and x-rated visions. He knew that if he allowed more than the briefest of kisses he'd never let her leave the room again. 

"Fine, I'll get changed." She reached for the hem of her top, starting to tug it over her head. 

"Stop!" She paused just as her bra was revealed, her face hidden behind the material. "I will not see you naked for the first time when I don't have time to do anything about it!" 

She heard a rustling noise. "I'm changing in Scott's room!" The door slammed shut and she sighed, tugging her shirt off the rest of the way. 

She hurried into the bathroom, casting a longing glance at the bathtub before settling for a shower. She quickly freshened up, brushing out her hair and twirling it up into a bun at the back of her neck, leaving two purple strands hanging down at the front which she curled. She slapped on some makeup, going for dark, smokey eyes with lots of her signature eyeliner. 

Her dress was a corseted, fishtail style, silky black number that she had paid way too much for. But it felt amazing as she slipped it on, hooked her bodice closed and tightened the laces, although she was unable to tie them herself and made a mental note to get John to help. She doubted that anyone else would be walking around in all their goth glory, but she refused to be someone she wasn't, even for the elite. 

She tucked her little bat shaped clutch bag under her arm and called herself done. 

Just in time as a knock sounded from the door. Suspecting he might not trust her to behave if he were to just walk in she opened the door… to see Scott standing there.

His eyebrows rose as he looked her up and down. 

"You look a bit different upright."

"And on the ground?" 

"That too. Ready to go?" 

"Just about, but could you quickly help me with something, please?" 

"Sure, if I can."

She span around, presenting him with her back. "Could you just tie those into a bow or something? They keep coming undone and I can't reach easily enough to fix them properly myself, Twizzle I'm not."

"Not a problem," his fingers got to work with quick efficiency, pulling the laces tight and then tying them up. 

"Perfect, thank you," she turned back to face him, taking a deep breath and mentally preparing herself. 

"Nervous? I find that hard to imagine."

She fiddled with her bag, trying to calm down. "I just don't want to fuck up, you know?"

"Every day,"he laughed. 

"Is this…" she waved a hand down at her dress,"...is this too much? Am I too much?" 

"Never, you just keep being you, you're the only person to have gotten my brother out in years." He offered her his arm. "It really is great to see you again. John's waiting downstairs. Between you and me, I don't think he trusted himself to come back and now that I've seen that dress, I can understand why." 

"I'll take that as a compliment," she managed to drag up a small smile for him and slipped her arm through his, allowing him to lead the way. 

***

John Tracy in a suit was a sight to behold. He wore a black suit that wasn't quite a tuxedo, but looked close enough. It was well cut, obviously made for him, emphasising his lean body to perfection. He hadn't done anything to his hair, but he didn't need to, she loved that little natural curl at the front and the way it pinged back when you stroked your fingers through it. He was standing off to the side in the entrance hall, obviously avoiding the crowd as much as possible, already looking uncomfortable. 

Since their first date, and the morning after which they had spent in a small cafe enjoying a relaxed brunch, they had talked almost daily, be it a phone call or just a few texts if they were busy, but each little conversation, each little nugget of information he shared about himself all helped build up a picture of him in her head as they grew closer and more comfortable with each other. 

Twice he had surprised her by docking his elevator on her roof and calling her to let him in, taking a break from 5 when they were quiet so they could spend a few hours together cuddled on her couch, supposedly to watch movies but often becoming too wrapped up in each other to pay any attention.

The more time they spent together the easier and freer he became with her, and she loved watching him gain confidence, growing safe in the knowledge that he was very much wanted. She'd learnt that he had a playfully flirty side to him that he kept mostly hidden until they were alone, but when he was relaxed it came out full force and she loved it. 

He had confided in her about his issues with crowds and social situations, about how uncomfortable and overwhelmed they made him feel, something she had already noticed. So she'd been very surprised when he had invited her to this event. She hadn't needed to be asked twice

She knew the second he saw her and Scott. His brother didn't get a second look but she could feel his eyes on her from clear across the room. Scott towed her forwards as she had stopped dead, just staring at her spaceman. It was a crime that he looked that good. 

"Date delivery," Scott joked as he passed her over, leaving her in the -hopefully capable- hands of his brother before making a beeline for the bar. 

John held her at arms length for a moment, encouraging her to turn in a slow circle. 

"Do I pass?" 

John swallowed. "I made the right decision." 

"What decision?" 

"Sending Scott." He offered her his arm which she gratefully accepted, allowing him to lead her into the fray as they entered the ballroom. There were a lot of people milling around and she had a moment where she wasn't sure she could do it, these were not her type of people, but then they weren't John's either and he was here because he wanted to be with her. She glanced at him, noticing the tense set to his shoulders and the slight clenching of his jaw. Her star boy wasn't comfortable either. 

"We don't have to stay long," she whispered. "Just make an appearance, say hello to your friend and we can slip out and go somewhere else if you want to." 

His smile showed that he appreciated her giving him an out and understanding just how he must be feeling.

"John!" 

A pretty blonde, looking elegant in a pale blue dress, glided over to them.

"It's so good to see you down here, a rare occurrence indeed." She pulled him into a hug, kissed his cheek and then turned her blue eyes to Selene. 

"This must be your lovely date, Scott's told me all about her. Although I must admit, to say I was surprised when you accepted my invitation was nothing compared to your RSVP with a plus one." She gave Selene the same hug and kiss treatment. 

"It's so wonderful to meet you in person, I'm Penelope, but please, call me Penny."

"Selene, it's lovely to meet you too, I've heard all about you."

"All good I hope?" she laughed lightly, then sighed when someone across the room called her name. "They really are so very tiresome and dull, but duty calls. Do take advantage of the bar and enjoy, you deserve a little time off."

She waved at the person demanding her attention and hurried away. 

"Busy lady," Selene commented as they wound their way through the crowd to the bar where Scott was lounging, watching the crowd with eyes that never rested. She guessed that was the disadvantage of a job like theirs, you were always waiting for shit to go down. 

"I see Penny caught you," Scott commented as they ordered their own drinks. 

"There was never a chance that I'd get away with it," John sighed, thanking the bartender and taking their drinks, a fancy beer for him and an old fashioned cocktail for her, because she hated champagne and he's wasn't that fond of it either. Once they had their drinks they left to find their designated seats at one of the tables arranged around the dance floor, where their evening meal would be served. 

Selene sipped her drink, a classic tequila sunrise, and watched the crowd. Even for one such as her who tended to try to avoid the news and celebrity gossip, there were a number of recognisable faces. She was used to rich, well connected and sometimes famous clients, but that was in her natural habitat where they had come to her, not the other way around. They were usually the nervous, out of their depth people and she found she didn't like the shoe being on the other foot. 

As with most events in polite society very few people actually seemed to genuinely like each other, even those who had dates. Oh, there were a lot of hugs and air kisses, compliments and posing for pictures but all of it had a fake air to it, like it was rehearsed and planned, choreographed almost. No one seemed to be showing genuine affection, no one was actually touching or hugging with any sincerity and they all seemed to be keeping their distance. 

This was the point where she worried that she would make a fool out of herself with some social faux pas that would reflect badly on not just John but Penelope too. She nervously gulped her drink, wanting to hide behind John, but knowing she couldn't. Why had she worn such an outfit? She was standing out like a sore thumb, her previously pretty and unique dress now feeling like a big problem. Why hadn't she just dressed normally, like everyone else was? Why did she have to be different all the time? 

Scott nudged John, nodding subtly over towards Selene. John didn't stop his explanation of the new code he had been working on, but slid his eyes to her, not liking the way she was sitting in her chair, her eyes downcast, uncharacteristically quiet. 

He slid his hand across the table to take hers, giving it a little questioning squeeze. She almost jumped out of her skin when she felt his hand on hers, but recovered quickly. She turned her hand in his, interlocking their fingers, giving him a reassuring smile.

He frowned as if he didn't believe her but he didn't argue, just shifted in his seat so she could be properly included in the conversation. 

The table around them slowly filled up as more people arrived and found their seats. It seemed that the Tracy boys were very well known and popular although she couldn't help but feel a little smug that she was one of the few people in the world who knew just what these rich playboys actually did with their spare time. 

Dinner was very pleasant, although the food was a little too posh and way too small to actually be of much use, she would have given anything for a slice of pizza and wondered if they could make use of the hotel's room service once this fancy shindig was over. 

Scott was good company, making a special effort to keep her included, amused and above all shielded from the inquiring glances that were coming her way. But she could still hear the whispers, people wondering who she was, how she had dared to turn up looking so out of place. After a rather vicious comment about her bag when she went to retrieve her lipstick and she was just about ready to give up and walk out. Showing up her date hadn't been part of the plan, and while she was grateful that he had gone to so much effort to arrange such a special date, their attitudes were souring the experience a little. If she had her way they would be back at her apartment with Chinese takeout. 

She made it through dinner without giving in to the urge to launch herself across the table and deck the next person who dared to utter another whispered insinuation that she was a gold digging whore. John, for his part, had kept her firmly by his side, given her his full attention and made a point of touching her as often as was possible, if not always proper. 

She just had to get through dessert and maybe she could make her excuses, claim a headache and leave John with his brother to enjoy himself while she hid in their room. Yes, that sounded like a perfectly good plan to her. 

John shot her a look, the same kind she often set loose on him, basically saying that she knew what he was thinking and he wasn't getting away with it. Busted. She widened her eyes and gave him her best innocent look. Scott snorted in disbelief. 

Her eyes narrowed at her date. "What have you been telling him about me?"

"Nothing that isn't true," he sipped his beer, possibly to avoid saying anything else that might incriminate him further. 

She threw up her hands in disgust. "Well that could be anything!" 

The other people on the table shot her a look as if she were a monkey in a zoo that had just flung its own shit at the glass. Part disgust, part disbelief and part interest like they were too transfixed to look away. 

Scott, for his part was completely uncaring as to the looks and started to laugh, leaving his brother to his fate. "I think you're digging yourself into a hole there, bro."

She shot him a grateful look when all those at their table turned back to their own conversations and he gave her a cheeky wink in response.

John looked back and forth between them, obviously realising that he had missed something. Scott caught his eye and swept his gaze over the occupants of their table, coming to rest on her. She quickly looked away, concentrating on her food, poking at the chocolatey goodness on her plate but not really wanting it. 

John leant closer, sliding his arm around her waist. "You OK?" 

She nodded. "I'm fine, don't worry about me." 

He didn't look like he believed her but said no more. 

She put her fork down, not able to force down another bite and contented herself with people watching while John and Scott held a whispered conversation, likely some thing to do with work. 

The people here really were in a whole class of their own, even their music was super fancy. An orchestra had started playing but in her opinion it was too much like elevator music, taking popular songs and playing them without a singer and at a speed which just made them sound weird. But then, it wasn't like the poshies of high society would be caught dead with anything less. 

The women were all primped and preened to perfection, their dresses wouldn't dare to wrinkle and when their jewellery caught the light the wrong way you could be blinded by the flash. The men weren't much better, all slicked back hair and sharp suits. She watched as people separated into their own little groups, the women to gossip nastily and the men to show off pictures of their new toys and play a rousing game of my boat is bigger than yours. How boring. 

She was amusing herself by making up names and occupations for them all, along with a scandalous secret, when a soft cough startled her out of her musings. 

She turned to find John's hand at face height, open in invitation. Puzzled she placed her hand in his and allowed him to tug her to her feet. 

"Allow me this dance?" 

She looked around the room. "But no one's dancing yet."

"Then I guess we'll be the first ones."

She laughed, trying to pull him back to his chair. "Don't be crazy, people will stare."

He shrugged, not moving an inch, and, as she was learning, when a Tracy didn't wish to move, nothing could make them. 

"Then we'll give them something to stare at."

They wandered slowly onto the dance floor, feeling eyes on them from all directions. The orchestra was playing some hideous version of a Beatles classic but that, and everything else, faded into insignificance when his arms encircled her waist, pulling her close. 

She leant into him, her arms looped around his neck, swaying with him as they slowly revolved on the dance floor. 

She could hear the whispers starting, breaking into their peaceful moment. She ducked her head, hiding her face against his chest. How was he staying so calm? 

She felt a light touch on her chin, his fingers cradling her face softly as he urged her to look at him. 

"You're beautiful and perfect. I'm so proud to be seen with you." His voice was pitched low, for her ears only but the kiss he gave her was a visual statement, a claiming. It was chaste by normal standards, but it was deep enough to mean business. It only lasted a few seconds but it was enough. The Tracy had thrown down the gauntlet. 

"Show off." Scott's voice made her jump, something he took great pleasure in as he glided past with Penelope, who gave them a wide smile. The lady approved. 

Selene glanced around, noticing that other couples had began to trickle out onto the dance floor, the babble of conversation growing louder as they were forgotten. 

"You didn't have to do that," she murmured in his ear as they danced. She knew how much guts it would have taken from him to voluntarily put himself in the position of being the center of attention. John was more of a wall flower, preferring to fade into the background and watch from the sidelines. She hated that he had felt like he had to do something he wasn't comfortable with for her sake. 

"Yes, I did. They were making you uncomfortable and they were being rude." He made a disgusted face. "I hate these kind of gatherings more than anything else, everyone is so fake, so concerned by their appearance, their social standing and their bank balance. That's all they value, and if you don't fit into their little world then you have no value to them. That's not how we think or how we feel. You are worth a thousand of them to me."

She didn't know what to say, swallowing hard. He was…wow. How could that man be so effortlessly romantic without even trying? 

Why wasn't she saying anything? Had he said something wrong?

"I…" 

Was she about to dump him in front of everyone? 

"You are so getting laid tonight."

Shit! She slapped her hand over her mouth in horror. Had she really said that out loud? That was supposed to be an in her head thing! She had been trying to put into words how she felt about him but panicked and blurted out the first thing that came to mind. 

That shocked a laugh out of him, as well as provoking an adorable blush. Her head thumped against his chest, her mortified groan muffled by his shirt. 

"Forget I said that," she begged. "Pretend that I'm actually someone that's safe to be let out in polite society."

"Oh no," he laughed, utterly delighted by her verbal slip. "I am never, ever, forgetting that."

***

"I like her, John, I think she's good for you." Penelope graciously gave up her dance partner to the witch, swapping for the little seen Tracy brother. 

"You only like the fact that she's managed to drag me down here."

"That's not a bad thing."

"Speak for yourself, you live this kind of thing, for me this is tortuous."

"You have adequate protection, she's a fierce thing."

"That she is, she yelled at me more times than I can count in our first conversation."

"Kind though, she donated an afternoon of her services to our silent auction and that lot is proving to be quite popular."

"Services?" This was news to him, he hadn't even known that she had services to offer. 

"Yes, psychic to the rich and famous, booked up to two years in advance and apparently very selective with those she chooses to take on as a client. Almost every woman here has put in a bid, though from the way they have been treating her you'd think they wouldn't have. Maybe they weren't aware of who she actually was."

"You noticed that too, huh?" He pushed aside the fact that the witch could still catch him off guard and surprise him with her actions to mull over later.

"I did, but something tells me they are regretting their behaviour now."

They both turned to look at Scott and Selene, apparently holding an intense conversation as they danced. The crowds has stopped staring and whispering amongst themselves and the witch had visibly relaxed. 

"You did well," Penny patted his arm, giving him a small kiss on the cheek as the song came to an end. 

***

"What have you done to my brother?" 

"Just how much detail are you wanting?" 

Scott had cut in after three songs, passing Penny over to John and stealing Selene for himself. 

"God, no, not like that. Please don't answer. No one needs to hear that."

She sniggered evilly. "Then what did you mean?" 

"He's different with you. It's good to see, it's been a long time."

"Then I'm happy to be of service. I absolutely adore that man."

"I can see that. Just…please don't hurt him. He's more delicate than people think."

His gaze caught hers and held it steadily. 

"Is that what this is? A 'you hurt my brother and they'll never find the sharks Gordon fed you to' speech?" 

"Maybe, does it need to be?" 

She shook her head. "No, it doesn't. I promise you, that I would never, ever do anything to intentionally hurt him." She sighed. "I know how special he is, anyone who doesn't see that is an idiot." 

"It's not his fault."

She pulled back to look at him, confused and a little angry that anyone could say that, let alone his own brother. "Of course it's not, it's not even a fault, it's a quirk that helps to make him amazing."

He smiled softly, loving her defensive tone. "Well, we know that but the rest of the world doesn't." He seemed to be debating if he should keep talking, glancing at John who was still dancing with Penelope, a martyred expression on his face as she talked animatedly. 

"Did he tell you anything about our mother?" 

"Just that she passed when you were all pretty young, I'm so sorry, it's never easy and it's not something anyone should have to experience."

Scott nodded, then continued. 

"There was an accident, while we were on vacation. We don't know if having warning or help would have made a difference, if it could have changed anything, but it did give us a purpose. We didn't want another family to suffer the way we have if we could prevent it. I know John took it very hard, he changed after that, like he wouldn't let himself open up to anyone else, he can't stand the thought of losing someone else, so he keeps his distance."

She nodded, understanding but not saying anything. What could you say in that situation? Promises would sound hollow, like she was paying lip service and honestly, she was pretty sure that the Tracy brothers preferred actions over words. 

"He buried himself in his studies after that, I think it gave him something to focus on, something that was predictable and defined. No nasty surprises. He was still so young but such a serious little thing. When Dad came up with the idea of International Rescue we all wanted to do our parts, and John knew where his specialties lay. Then Dad disappeared, and we all had to find our own ways of coping, John's was to hide away up there, to not deal with the world unless he was watching it and we were all saving it."

He paused, his eyes studying hers."You're the first person he's had an interest in in a very long time, and the only person he's voluntarily left Five for, we normally have to force him to come down and often don't see him for weeks. In the past month he's been down half a dozen times or more. I don't think you realise what a big deal that is for him."

"I do realise that."

"Usually we keep our private life and our work separate, but you seem to have inadvertently bridged that gap, but I don't want you to expect too much from him, or from us. It takes time to trust, because it's not just him that could get hurt." 

She listened to all he had to say, not saying a word until she knew he was finished. But then she put him in his place, her tone firm, allowing for no arguments. 

"Listen to me, and listened well because I will only ever explain myself once. I like your brother, and I will always respect him, respect all of you. I want to be a part of his life, and if he wants to make me a part of yours too, then I'm good with that, but that's his choice. I will do things at his pace, as he dictates and when he feels ready. I'm not expecting anything from any of you, I don't want anything other than to make him happy. I'm not planning anything, I have no motives other than wanting to spend time with him, and all of you if you'll have me. I know you all have a say in what we do, so I'll leave the ball in your court as well as his. That's all I can say. Is that enough for you?"

He pulled her into a hug, which she assumed was as good an answer as any. 

They continued to dance until the end of the song, both of them quiet, lost in their own thoughts. 

"Thanks for the dance," she said, and found that she really meant it. It had been nice getting to know Scott better and to understand a little more about what made her spaceman tick. 

"You're welcome," he moved aside to let John, who had been hovering nearby, back in. "All yours, bro."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I debated about posting the next chapter, because it's a bit on the spicy side, but since I'm well known for my hot and steamy, yet sensitive and romantic, love scenes, I was advised to keep it in the story.
> 
> I like to explore a relationship on all levels and I feel that a physical level can be important when written sensitively and with a purpose that furthers the story and expands the characters. So, if you wish to read, then go ahead, if not, please skip to chapter 6.


	5. The First Touch Is The Deepest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their connection deepens to the next level.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an explicit, details filled chapter, exploring emotional connections, sexual attraction and inner thoughts.
> 
> I debated about posting this but I felt it was important to the development of their relationship, but it is something than can be skipped if you are uncomfortable with physical displays of affection beyond kissing.

John and Selene had managed to get through the rest of the night without making a spectacle of themselves again. They had a few more drinks with Scott, with Penelope popping back whenever she got the chance. Selene had met Parker, Penelope's man servant/chauffeur who turned out to be a lively man of late middle years, with a cheeky sense of humour and the ability to look down his nose at someone and judge them to hell, while being effortlessly proper and polite. Selene needed one of her own. 

The evening had definitely taken an upward turn, and even though it had gone from uncomfortable to fun and she had actually enjoyed herself, she was still ready to make a break for it when John whispered the idea in her ear. 

She took his offered hand, bid Scott goodnight, catching the knowing look he tossed her way. She pulled a face back and playfully stuck her tongue out at him. 

They made their way slowly out of the room, John having to stop and talk to a few people, taking more then fifteen minutes to reach the stairs. They trotted up them as fast as they dared, praying no one else stopped them for a chat about Jeff Tracy's legacy, the company or a marriage status of various brothers. 

John was feeling very uncomfortable, but not in his usual way. He had been forced to watch her plump behind encased in silk that conformed to every curve, wiggle and sway with her every move. He'd had to feel the slenderness of her waist and see the way her breasts rose up to greet him from the depths of her corset, he'd had to watch the way they moved when she breathed, especially when he kissed her. He was only human, and there was only so much self restraint and resistance he could put up before he would succumb to the siren song of her body against his. 

By the time they hit their hallway they were fast walking and almost at a run, which was difficult when wearing a fishtail dress. When she stumbled he turned and swept her up into his arms bridal style, sprinting for their room, the sound of her laughter accompanying them. 

She made the fatal mistake of leaning in to kiss the side of his neck, nuzzling her nose against his jaw, just because it was there and looked so inviting. He stopped dead, gave her a look that promised heavy retribution and demanded she open the door. 

Why did she have to kiss him? Why did she have to push his control like that? He'd wanted to take his time, to make everything perfect, but he should have known that she was never the type of person to follow a carefully laid plan. He'd imagined this moment for the past month, but he hadn't taken into account just what his woman's contribution to the proceedings would be. As soon as they got inside she was done for, his paper thin control had just snapped.

It took her a minute of fumbling before the door unlocked but then he took, over kicking it open and shutting it was a well aimed shoulder. His lips slammed into hers the second the door closed, insistent and demanding. This was John Tracy in bossy mode, the no nonsense guy that took control of the toughest of missions with total confidence. She loved that he could lose his inhibitions with her, that he could take what he wanted and know that she would give him everything and more. 

He stumbled towards the bed, then dropped her in the center. They didn't need words, they both knew exactly what was going to happen. It seemed that every little look, every little touch, every kiss and touch had been leading to this moment. It was as inevitable as the sun setting. 

He tugged off his jacket, tossing it onto the floor without a thought to its value, yanking at his bow tie as he tried to kick off his shoes and socks at the same time. 

He started to unbutton his shirt, then noticed that she was still lying on the bed, not moving, simply watching him. 

"Why aren't you taking all that," he waved a hand in the general direction of her dress, "off?"

"Well, I was enjoying watching you but…" she rolled over onto her front, displaying the laces along the back. "Scott tied them and I can't get them undone."

John climbed up onto the bed beside her, peering at the laces. He gave them an experimental tug, then another, harder this time. "Damn it, Scott."

He tried to unpick them, he tried yanking at them with his teeth, but he knew it was futile. Nothing in the world could budge one of his brothers famous double knots. John whimpered, a pathetic noise that she had never expected to hear him utter.

"He's done this on purpose, breathe in… " he tugged at the laces as she inhaled deeply, lifting them up. She heard the rustle of material as he fiddled with his sleeve. "Hold still…"

"Hold still? What are you…" she tried to twist her head around to look but he nudged her back into place with his knee. She heard a small buzz and the laces gave way. Her head snapped round and she caught sight of his cufflinks vanishing into the bedside drawer… "Did you just lazer cut my laces? Are you crazy?" 

"Crazy about you?" 

She sat up, giving him a playful whap on the shoulder."That should not have been phrased as a question!" 

He chuckled, avoiding another smack when his gaze dropped. His eyes locked onto her chest, unblinking. She glanced down, realising that now that her laces were no more, her top was sagging down, revealing almost all of her bra less chest. 

The wicked witch in her was loving the look on his face as he stared at her but he looked like he'd zoned out. Concerned she scooped up her top, holding it closed and leant closer. "You OK? Still with me?" 

He moved so quick she almost missed it, his arms shooting out to drag her closer, dropping onto his back on the bed, bringing her down on top of him. 

How was she so tempting by accident? It should not be possible to drive him so crazy without even trying! She was a dangerous, dangerous woman. 

His lips found hers in a desperate kiss, one that stole her breath, stoking the flames of arousal that had kindled in her belly, turning them from an ember to a raging inferno. His tongue pushed its way into her mouth and got bossy with her own. He tasted of beer and the shot of whiskey he'd shared with Scott just before they made their break for freedom. 

He broke the kiss, both of them slightly breathless and sat her up, his hands going to the front of her dress. He paused, catching her eye, silently asking permission. In answer she arched her back, lifting closer to his hands. 

His quick, clever fingers made short work of all the little hook and eyes that held the corset closed. He pushed the material aside, his eyes roaming her chest, feasting on the sight. And wasn't that a massive ego boost? 

His hand hovered just above her skin, feeling the warmth and calm that he always felt when she was close. For all his bravado and confidence he was still nervous of doing the wrong thing. 

Slowly, tentatively and oh so gently he glided the fingers of one hand down from her collar bone, sweeping around the fullness of one breast, circling in until he reached the middle. 

She sucked in a shuddering breath, her eyes closing briefly before opening to look at him. She wanted another of his kisses and dipped her head to capture his lips. 

He happily complied, but his hands stayed busy, roaming her body,taking both breasts in his hands, his thumbs strumming over their peaks.

Things started out slow but got heated in a hurry. She wanted his shirt off completely, wanted to run her hands over every inch of skin, wanted to feel everything. She started to tug at his shirt, easing it off his shoulders and down his arms. Things were going fine until his sleeve got caught on his comm and then there was swearing. 

He'd had the same idea and had been pushing her dress down over her hips, but laying flat out on someone didn't make it easy and in the end she'd had to admit defeat and climb off the bed. 

She shucked her dress, wiggling it down over her hips, letting it drop at her feet. She kicked off her heels and was about to start on her stockings when his hand stopped her. He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her closer. 

He took over, slowly unsnapping the suspenders from the stockings. At his urging, she lifted each leg in turn, letting him roll the silk down her thighs, his hands stroking a path down her skin. She unhooked the belt and let it drop down to join her shoes. 

His hands went to her underwear but she stopped him with a gentle touch, placing her hand against his chest. She saw indecision and worry flash in his eyes and quickly reassured him. 

"I'm more than happy for you to take those off, but you're still way too overdressed." She hooked her finger into his belt, tugging him to his feet. "It's not fair that you've got to touch and I haven't." 

She pulled him closer, leaning in to nuzzle his neck, kissing lightly at his soft skin, breathing in the scent that was uniquely him. John topless was the stuff of her dreams. She'd known that he was packed out with tightly honed muscles, but feeling them under clothes and seeing them in the flesh was two completely different things. Imagination just didn't do him justice.

She ran her hands down over his shoulders, sweeping over the planes of his chest, fingers dancing across muscular dips and bumps, tracing each indent and swell, exploring slowly. 

She heard his soft intake of breath as she kissed her way down his chest, lapping lightly at one small brown nipple, making him jump. She dropped to her knees, loving the shocked look on his face and the hunger and need in his eyes. 

She kissed the pale trail of hair that decorated his toned stomach, following it lower. Her fingers worked his belt, unsnapping it and yanking it free with a quick motion. She tossed it over her shoulder, making him bark out a laugh. 

His hands rested on her shoulders, squeezing lightly as she tugged at the zip and eased the trousers down. He wore tight briefs that hugged him like a second skin, they looked good on him, but they had to go. 

She slipped her fingers inside the waistband and tugged them down. His fingers tightened on her shoulders as he stepped out of the pile of clothing and kicked them aside. 

She looked up at him, taking in the full sight of this handsome male that was, at this moment in time, all hers. 

"There, now I'm more naked than you, your tu-" he stopped dead as she took him in hand and stroked. His whole body stiffened, then shuddered as she let her mouth join her hands. She didn't give him time to feel self conscious or vulnerable in his naked state, she just took advantage of it. 

She loved him with her mouth and hands, exploring every inch of his flesh, soft and slow at first but growing harder as she heard his breathing speeding up, heard his little moans of pleasure, mentally storing away the information of what he seemed to really like. 

His fingers tangled in her hair, pins pinging off in all directions but she didn't mind a bit. She relaxed, allowing him to dictate the pace and just enjoyed the moment. She loved that she could make him feel good, loved that she could give him all the attention and pleasure that he deserved.

He'd given and received enough to have known exactly what was on her mind, he just hadn't expected the sheer intensity of the act. She didn't just go through the motions in order to placate him enough to get her own, she seemed to genuinely want him. 

Her wet mouth vibrated around him as she moaned her enjoyment and he almost combusted on the spot. This was not how he had planned on things going. He never lost it like this, he always needed to mentally relinquish control in order to relax enough to allow the physical pleasure to override him, to block out the voice in his head. This time the voice in his head was struck as dumb as he was, a sagging, whimpering mess with a dozy, happy smile. He had to stop her or he'd never get to watch her reaction as he slid inside her because he'd be in a post-orgasm coma the likes of which he'd never experienced before. 

She was getting into her groove when, with a shuddering groan, he pulled back. She looked up at him, one eyebrow raised questioningly. 

"Much as I'm convinced that your mouth is now my favourite place in the world, you have to stop."

Oooh, she loved it when he let all his inhibitions go and got a little bossy, though she wouldn't be her if she didn't push him, just a little. 

She shrugged, and dropped a small kiss right on the tip of his hardness that was still happily bobbing at eye level, making him jump and close his eyes briefly in a bid for strength. "Make me." 

He met her challenging gaze with one of his own. It always surprised her just how much strength he had hidden away in his lean body. He hooked his hands under her arms and hauled her to her feet. "Argumentative," he kissed her, "annoying," he kissed her again, "beautiful," he stole another kiss, "woman."

"If I was any other way I'd be boring, and then you wouldn't want me."

"I'll always want you."

She grinned evilly. "Prove it."

His eyes narrowed warningly but the sight of it just made something low down inside her clench in the most delicious way. He kissed her again, turning her on the spot while she was distracted, then before she even registered what he was planning, he grabbed her legs, hoisted them up and tipped her backwards onto the bed. He snatched at the sides of her panties and ripped them down and off before she could squeak a protest.

She was driving him crazy, from the way she looked at him, the way she touched him and the way she made him feel. 

The moment he had seen her clinging to his brother's arm the rest of the world had faded away to nothing. She had looked more beautiful than he could have ever imagined, her unique style setting her apart from the other carbon copy women in attendance. 

They had been growing closer with each stolen hour they spent together, each conversation, until he felt as comfortable with her as he did his family. She fitted with him like no one else had, happy to take things at his pace. 

He'd known when he invited her that he had wanted to make the night special for them both, because he was ready to go to the next level. More than ready if he was honest, he could think of nothing else but stripping her out of that dress that showed her lush figure off to perfection and burying himself inside her. 

He loomed over her, his eyes feasting on every inch of skin he had exposed. She was spread beneath him like an unwrapped gift that he hadn't known he wanted at first but now he couldn't think of anything else he'd rather have. 

He used his grip on her legs to push her further onto the bed, then crawled on to join her, settling himself between her spread thighs. 

"Well, it seems that we've had a power shift, Miss Witch." His hand skimmed it's way down her chest, lower and lower to sift his fingers lightly through the soft thatch of hair that covered her center. He cupped her with his palm, one finger slipping down to touch her intimately, just the briefest of touches but enough to let him know how damp and ready she was. 

She shivered, desperate now for him to just get on with it, to touch her properly rather than these teasing touches he was torturing her with. She lifted her hips in invitation, hoping to tempt him. 

"Are you wanting something?" he asked, the fingers of one hand drawing little patterns on the inside of her thigh. 

"You know I am."

"Humm…" he dipped his head down, his tongue flicking out to tease one nipple, making her gasp. His lips closed around her flesh, sucking it into his mouth. She arched closer, a soft moan escaping as a jolt of pleasure shot through her. He gave her other breast the same loving attention before copying her earlier move and kissing his way down her body. 

"My turn." He hooked his arms around her thighs and dragged her closer to meet his mouth. 

She hadn't known what to expect from her spaceman, would he be as nervous and gentle as he so often was, or would he surprise her?

He set to work with the kind of knowledge and concentration that she had come to expect from him. She knew he was the type of person to give his all to everything he did, but he took it to a whole different level. 

She felt like he was completely immersed in her, focused on her with laser like intensity, aware of her every twitch, listening to every moan, every hitching breath, every way in which her body reacted to him. And he exploited it mercilessly. Within minutes, she could feel her pleasure building almost to breaking point. It was then that he let his talented hands join in the fun. 

He'd always been blessed with a technical mind, one that enjoyed research, analysing data and the application of it to obtain his goals. He liked to know exactly what he was doing and when, something that extended into all parts of his life. During his first relationship he had made a point of studying the techniques of good lovemaking, it was the only way he could feel comfortable and confident enough to participate at first. Knowledge was power to him and he had needed it.

He'd enjoyed it, had felt a kind of smug satisfaction when his bed partner had praised his efforts but he'd still felt almost like an outsider to the whole experience. It had been nice, satisfying in a physical way, but on an emotional level had been rather hollow.

He'd always thought there was something wrong with him, something that made him different from the other guys in his dorm. He hadn't been interested in one night stands or felt the need to chase anything in a skirt or take anything offered to them. He never felt that way. He could look at someone and appreciate their attractiveness, but for them to actually capture his interest, they had to be very special. He valued intelligence, someone that wasn't afraid to speak their mind and actually tell him what they were thinking or feeling. He didn't like guesswork, he didn't like having to navigate through his partners mental obstacles as well as his own. 

He had to have an attachment to someone, had to feel a bond forming, to feel secure and comfortable with them before he'd even think about anything else. Attraction was one thing but he wasn't prepared to risk his heart with someone that wasn't going to be there long term. 

His previous partners had all worked or studied in a similar field to him, saw things that same way or treated their times together as a purely biological function. They'd had an itch to scratch and he was there to do the job, nothing more, nothing less. He had grown emotionally attached and they hadn't. This time was different, she was different. It was true what they said, opposites attract, and while he would never have actively sought out someone like her, he was ever thankful that she'd crashed into his life the way she had. 

He loved how she reacted to his touch, loved the way she moved and moaned, the way she reached for him, tangling her fingers in his hair to pull him closer. Her taste was addictive, drugging his senses as he lost himself in her, allowing these new thoughts and feelings to overwhelm him in the best possible way. 

He paid close attention, not wanting to miss a second of this experience with her. It was their first time and he wanted to remember every single detail. 

He noticed the way her breathing changed when he made specific moves, felt the way she moved against him and it was affecting him just as much. He picked his moment, sliding two fingers into her and twisting to hit just the right spot. She rewarded him with the shaking of her body and the panting way she moaned his name. He moved his fingers with precision, drawing out her release until she begged him to stop.

"Stop, stop, John, no more. Stop."

He grinned against her thigh, nipping gently at her skin, making her yelp and smack lightly at his shoulder. She used her grip on his hair to drag him up her body for a kiss, her lips slamming into his as if she'd drown without them. 

She needed him, more than she had ever needed anything or anyone in her life before. She craved him, body, mind, heart and soul. She'd felt a connection with him from their first words, their first meeting, the first time she'd seen him, touched him, been held in his arms. He'd felt safe, like home and she had known then that he was someone very special. 

Her hands left his hair to traverse the length of his back. His shoulders were wider than you would expect, his back just as packed with muscle as the rest of him, but it was the round globes of his perfectly compact arse that drew her like a magnet. 

She could feel the hard length of him resting against her still tingling flesh and she couldn't help but rock her hips, needing more, needing him. He shifted his hips, lining up perfectly with her entrance. 

"Wait!" 

"Wait? Now?" he groaned, stuck in a semi-plank position, pulling back to look at her. "Do you not want this?" They hadn't discussed the need for protection this time because it was a conversation they had had a week or so previously when she had casually swallowed her pill while they were talking, claiming it helped with cramps. He hadn't been with anyone in so long he was practically a monk and she was very sparing with her affections in that way. Was she now changing her mind? Would she be requiring him to make a rather embarrassing call to room service? 

"No, no, I do, more than anything, but I have to be honest with you. I'm a Witch."

He rolled his eyes, arms shaking, just a little, with the effort of holding himself still above her. Was that all? "I'm aware of that fact."

"I'm not like normal people, once we do this, things won't be the same. This isn't just sex for me, this is a connection. I don't just share my body, I share my soul too. I don't want to hold back with you. I'm an all or nothing girl, I'm in it for the long haul."

She could have been speaking his own thoughts back to him, confirming that he wasn't being stupid in his needs, that he wasn't a romantic idiot with too high expectations. If he'd had any last, lingering doubts hidden away in the back of his mind she had swept them away with her honesty and needs that mirrored his own. 

"This was never just about sex, this is about us. I don't connect easily with people, but I have with you. No holding back, I want all of you. Long haul. " His words came easily, a verbal promise, a declaration. 

She nodded, letting out the breath she hadn't realised she was holding. "Now, please."

His evil smile was something she'd never forget as he turned her own words against her. "Make me."

She lifted her legs, wrapping them around his hips, using them and her grip on his delectable derriere to yank him closer. He allowed the move only so far before he stopped, leaning down to kiss her softly. His eyes met hers, the perfect moment of connection, locked on and watching her as he slid forward, burying himself deep inside her. 

They groaned in unison, her eyes fluttering closed at the sensation. This felt…right. She allowed herself to relax, allowed her shields to drop, allowed her senses to reach out to his in a way she had only done once before. 

The moment he entered her for the first time was the moment he lost his heart to her. He had to pause for a second to regain control before he began to move. He could feel her as if she were a part of him, as if they were two parts of a whole. It wasn't just on a physical level, although he'd never slept with anyone without the barrier of a rubber between them and he was shocked by the intensity of their joining. But more so was the fact that he actually felt like he understood what she meant when she said she wouldn't hold back. He barely understood half of the metaphysical things she spoke to him about, about magic and energies and her connection to nature and the world around her, but at that moment he felt like he was seeing her clearly for the first time. He allowed himself to relax fully, putting all his trust in her, releasing his death grip on his tightly held control. 

One hand left his backside to cradle his head as he returned his attention to her glorious breasts, his hips starting to pump a steady rhythm that had them both moaning. 

Once again he seemed to know instinctively just what she needed, his hand slipping between their bodies to seek out the place he'd recently been up close and personal with. His fingers working her in deliciously tingling circles as he drove inside her hard and deep. 

She flexed her legs, ankles locked at the small of his back, urging him to move a little faster, she wouldn't break. She needed everything he had to give. 

"Kiss me," she demanded and he was more than happy to oblige. She could feel her release teetering just out of reach, needing that extra connection. His lips touched hers and the pleasure detonated inside her like a bomb, rolling through her, his lips capturing her every moan, every groan as he rode her hard. 

He felt his rhythm falter, losing that smooth glide as he lost himself in her body, the clenching of her inner muscles, the flooding warmth of her release, the way she sucked his tongue into her mouth as if she would swallow him whole. Everything combined to push him over the edge. 

His body sagged against hers, losing the ability to move as he emptied inside her, the fact that there were no barriers between them, making everything feel so much more intense than he was used to. He waited for the panic to set in as his body shuddered, his muscles seeming to melt into a satisfied puddle, but it never did. 

That calm that he so often felt when she was near was like a balm to his senses, almost drug like in its potency and he felt more relaxed than he had ever been before. His previous experiences of post-coital bliss had been short lived, the moment the aftershocks of release had faded he had felt his old insecurities rush in, the uncomfortableness of the situation making him desperate to leave. His other partners had called him cold and detached, but the truth was he had just felt exposed, vulnerable and they hadn't noticed. They liked him to do all the work, to make them feel good and then to cuddle them for as long as they wanted until they were done with him. She couldn't have been more different. 

She let her legs drop to the bed but wrapped her arms tightly around him. She didn't complain that he was crushing her or that he needed to move, she didn't push him away, she held him closer. 

He lay in her embrace, his head pillowed on her chest, her heart beating hard and fast under his ear as she took deep breaths in an effort to regain some control. He felt her body shiver against his, felt her soft kisses to his forehead and her fingers combing through his hair. 

He didn't know how long they stayed there, content to simply be together. Their bodies relaxed, languid after such an intense workout. 

"You OK, baby?" Her soft question floated through the fog of satisfaction that clouded his mind and he smiled, hearing such a sweet endearment from her for the first time. He was used to her yelling at him, calling him many space themed variations of pet names, but this was different. 

"Mmm," he finally moved, lifting his head to steal a kiss before gently rolling off her and onto the bed. He expected her to let go but she didn't, rolling with him to tuck herself against his side as she had done the night of their first date. "Are you alright?" 

"I am so good," she dropped a kiss on his bare chest and he felt a laugh bubble up inside him. This was so new to him, a playful, loving partner who wasn't afraid to say what was on her mind. 

He knew when she drifted off, once again falling asleep in his arms and he tugged her closer, managing to pull the rumpled blankets over them so she wouldn't get cold. 

He simply laid there, warm, content and more comfortable than he could ever have believed possible.


	6. Simply Science

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introspection in Space.

He'd been back in 'Five for a little over a week and not had a chance to visit the witch after their second date. Honestly, he was a little scared of it, truth be told. 

He was confused, he was anxious and he was so far out of his depth he couldn't even see the bottom, let alone touch it. 

He couldn't trust himself in this, couldn't trust the thoughts in his own head. He trusted her when she said that she was in it for the long haul, he was too, but he was plagued with an uneasy feeling that he couldn't shake. He hated not knowing something, hated his lack of experience in a relationship such as this. This was different to anything he had ever known before and that made him more anxious than ever. He didn't want to screw it up because he was uncertain about his feelings or scare her off by being too much, too fast. 

He had to do something about it, had to approach this logically and in his usual way, keeping himself on familiar ground. 

Taking himself out of range of the eagle eyed lens of EOS he settled himself on his bunk and got down to some serious research. 

***

Two hours and many deep dives into the Internet later and John lay there, stunned but very much relieved. 

His research had led him from one site to another starting with the purely scientific. 

'It takes 4 minutes for your brain to fall in like and 90 minutes to fall in love.' 

'Your brain is focused on survival, and reproduction is the pinnacle of survival, he had read. You have a specific idea of what it takes to meet your needs based on past experiences, good or bad.' 

That had sounded right. 

'Social isolation was a threat during caveman days, and your “mammal brain” is operating under the cards evolution has dealt it. As such, a release of oxytocin helps bond you to a potential romantic partner.'

He hadn't been looking for anyone, hadn't felt like he even needed someone, but he couldn't deny that his self imposed social isolation could sometimes be a negative. 

'Technically, with all the chemicals swirling around in your body, you can fall in love with someone in under an hour, it just takes longer for your brain to catch up. It's not silly romance novel stuff, it's science.'

Who could argue with science? Not he. 

'As you two get to know each other, dopamine is surging, and the anticipation that you can land them can give you the kick you need to start to emotionally invest.'

'If you feel your heart rate increase, if you feel yourself missing them when they aren't there, feel excited to see them again and when you aren't together they occupy your thoughts, that all points to love. '

'Past surveys show that men wait just 88 days to say those three little words to their partner for the first time, and 39 percent say them within the first month. Women, on the other hand, take an average 134 days.'

'And even if your S.O. hasn't verbalized those feelings, they may still be thinking them. One study found that men, in particular, considered fessing up to their love six weeks before women did.'

'Forging an emotional connection can be harder, it takes time, endless conversations, an interest in your partner and a desire to get to know everything about them. They should fascinate you.'

'These brain chemicals are designed to motivate you to take action to seek an unmet need. Once that need is met, those chemicals are no longer stimulated. In other words, your brain effectively says,“You found the one. Now what?'

Now what indeed? He kept scrolling.

'The answer, enjoy. You got lucky, you found someone that you like and hopefully likes you in return. '

'Love and relationships are about partnership. You find the person that compliments you, that understands you and is willing to give you all the time, support and love that you need to be whole with them.' 

'Expectations have no place in a relationship, worries should have no place their either. Holding back a part of yourself from fear or the belief that they wish for you to be someone you aren't is a recipe for disaster. Be true, be honest, be yourself, let them love you for you and let nature take care of the rest.' 

He put down his tablet and stared at the ceiling of his craft. He was normal. He did have the same feelings, desires and emotions as everyone else, he'd just needed to wait for the right person. 

Selene made him feel good, she made him feel comfortable and understood. She supported him in his work, she took an interest in him and she never got angry with him for the things about himself that he couldn't change. 

For someone that spoke to people all day, every day, he actually dreaded casual conversations, hated how he was expected to participate when he had nothing to say and no desire to be involved. Yet with her it was different, he found himself making the first move, sending the first text or placing the call. He didn't dread long conversations, he wasn't constantly trying to find an excuse to get off the phone, he was always surprised when he found that an hour had passed when it had felt like five minutes. 

He knew his feelings were genuine, knew that he has fought against acknowledging them, but now he found that he was happy. More than happy. 

He wouldn't say anything about it to her, he wasn't that brave and honestly, he wanted more time to process, to bask in the warmth of the secret knowledge that he had a woman he adored.

Anxiety would likely be an ever present partner in his head, but with her it dulled, allowing him to simply enjoy. He wasn't stupid enough to think that it would be plain sailing for them, to think they wouldn't have arguments or that his insecurities wouldn't become an issue at some point, but he was confident enough to know that whatever happened, they would work it out. 

"I'm in love," he whispered, as if saying the words too loudly would jinx them. And he smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little thing he insisted I write before I could move on.


	7. Healing Touch

The world was fucked up. And when the world was fucked up it meant that things went to shit. And when things went to shit it meant that the man that was currently occupying her thoughts was busy. Overworked, probably under appreciated and definitely not looking after himself properly. 

She'd only managed to talk to him properly twice in the past two weeks, though he had sent the odd message a few times a day. He was working flat out and she would bet her favourite wand that he wasn't sleeping or eating properly. 

She was worried, and she didn't like being worried, it pissed her off. And a pissed off witch was never a good thing. But now he had been radio silent going on 24 hours and she wasn't putting up with that. 

She hadn't had a chance to meet all of his family properly as he kept saying he wanted her to do, apparently there were protocols and procedures that had to be in place before it could happen and he hadn't had time. 

She'd taken to watching the news daily, had alerts on her phone for anything related to them and kept up with their rescues. It wasn't that she was doubting him when he said he was busy, it was because she genuinely cared for him and his family. 

Well, it was time to take matters into her own hands. She was not prepared to sit around and wait when he might need her. She was going to pull out the big guns. 

She grabbed her phone, selected her target and attacked the weak link. 

'Gordon, don't you dare leave me on read! I don't have the time or the patience for all that crap. I'm worried about your brother, so call me. Now!' 

***

"Scott!" Gordon's scared yell shook the walls as he ran the length of the house, his phone held aloft in a blind panic. 

His eldest brother's sleep tousled head popped out of the bathroom. "Why are you yelling? I swear if you just want to show me another singing dog I'll be down one brother."

Gordon skidded to a halt, thrusting his phone into Scott's face, for once ignoring the, he felt, unwarranted verbal attack. 

Scott squinted at the screen, trying to focus on the words. 

"Damn."

"What do I do? Do I call her? Do I ignore her? Please don't make me ignore her, she scares the crap out of me." Gordon was descending into full blown panic mode. 

"Worse than Kayo?" 

Gordon nodded seriously. 

Scott pondered this for a minute, then pushed his brother's arm out of his face. "Call her, tell her we're sending someone to pick her up."

Gordon still held his phone at arms length like he expected the witch to pop out and murder him any second. 

"Who are we sending? Please don't say me."

Scott grinned evilly. "Kayo. She's head of security, Selene could be a security threat as I know that John hasn't told her where we are based, so Kayo can go do her job and make sure she's safe."

Gordon chickened out and messaged her back instead, he felt that if she heard his voice she'd be like a shark scenting blood, she'd go in for the kill. 

'Talk to my secretary, I'll send her to meet you.' 

Selene glared at the message. Secretary? Had he just palmed her off on the nearest available lacky? For his sake she hoped not. She'd give them 2 hours, then she was going in. 

***

The woman in front of her was trying to look tough, and to most people she probably would have been very scary, but Selene ate people like her for breakfast, so the witch simply sat and stared her down silently, arms crossed, exactly as the other woman was doing to her. 

Kayo broke first. 

"Let's cut the shit, shall we?" 

Selene rolled her eyes. "Look, I don't have the time or patience for this. I know I'm supposed to undergo some kind of background check and sign a nondisclosure, and I've said I'll happily do all that , but John hasn't had time, so can we please just speed this up?" She held out her hand in offering. Kayo continued to stare at her for a long few seconds before she took out a tablet and pushed the witches hand against it, taking her prints. 

"I've got nothing to hide, I understand the need for all this," she waved back and forth between them vaguely, "and I know I probably shouldn't have messaged like that, but I didn't feel like I had a choice. And no, before you ask, he didn't tell me anything that I could hold against you. He told me that you guys had rules and that there were procedures to be followed but I'm worried and I refuse to sit about and wait any longer."

The tablet the woman held beeped and she checked the page, eyes quickly scanning the information. "You appear to check out, so I'm just going to take this print as your signature and warn you that if you ever do anything to hurt them, any of them, or to jeopardise our operation, I will hunt you down. Got it?" 

Selene threw her hands up in frustration."Of course I check out, and I wouldn't expect anything less! Now, please, can you take me to him?"

"Why are you so worried?" Kayo frowned, seeing genuine concern on the woman's face. "Do you know something we don't?" 

"I can't explain it, but I just know, I have a feeling and I don't ever ignore them." Sel's hand darted out and latched on to the other woman's arm before she could dodge and in a second the witch had all the information she needed. She met those hard eyes and held their penetrative gaze, not backing down.

"I can sense it in you, the power you fight against, that you try to hide. I can help you with it, I can help you help them. You just have to ask. OK?" 

Kayo nodded, stunned. No one had ever known that about her, not even the Tracy's. She knew there was real magic, real powers in the world, but apart from her uncle, she had never met anyone who had sensed it with a simple touch. 

"So, are we cool?" Selene raised an eyebrow for emphasis. 

A small smile formed on the other woman's lips. "We're cool. Let's go pack you a bag and I'll give you a ride. Oh, and good job with Gordon. That was hilarious."

***

"Is this really necessary?" Selene complained, twisting her head this way and that but still unable to see anything around the blindfold that had been tied around her head. The small aircraft dipped down, moving steadily as Kayo apparently came in to land. 

The craft tipped up on its end, making her grip at the chair in a moment of panic that she would fall, mostly because the loss of her sight was making things weird. 

The engine shut off and only then was she given permission to take the blindfold off. She blinked in the harsh lights, getting her bearings. They were in a hanger that looked like it had been carved out of rock, the walls craggy, dark and damp with a distinctly salty scent that reminded her of the ocean. She had no idea where she was but at that moment she didn't care, all she wanted was to see her spaceman. 

"Follow me." Kayo wasn't one to waste time on small talk, that was for sure. Selene dutifully followed, paying little attention to where they were going. She soon found herself in a bright, sunlight room, surrounded on almost all sides by large windows. She glanced out over what looked like dense jungle, seeing the ocean. Turning to look out of the others she saw the same image continued. 

"Are we on a freaking Island? How cool is that!" 

"Didn't you see it from the air?" Scott asked, having wandered in as they had arrived. 

"Not with the blindfold on."

"Blindfold?" His forehead creased in confusion. 

"Yeah, the one that anyone visiting has to wear…" she trailed off to glare at Kayo. "I asked you if it was necessary!" 

Kayo shrugged. "And I didn't answer." 

"Bitch!" 

"Yep." 

Selene glared but couldn't put much heat behind it, it would have been quite funny if she wasn't so worried. 

"So, where is he?" 

"John? He's still in 5. We spoke to him last night, he's fine."

Selene shook her head firmly. "No, he's not." 

Scott sat his butt on the arm of one of the rounded couches that lined the sunken seating area in the middle of the room. His arms crossed, as if he were preparing himself for something. "And how would you know that? You said you were worried about him, why is that? Do you know something we don't?" 

"I can't explain it, I just know something is wrong, I can feel it. When was the last time you actually saw him, when was the last time he was here or took a break?" 

"We've been pretty busy the past few weeks…" 

"I know, but that wasn't the question I asked."

"We last saw him on the video link two days ago, and he was last here about three weeks ago, after he left yours." 

Selene threw her hands up in frustration, unable to believe what she was hearing. "Three weeks! Seriously? Call him, now! Or take me to him." 

"Scott," Kayo butted in, "I believe her."

Scott stared at Selene for a moment or two, his eyes scanning her face, before he finally nodded. He hit a button on the table in front of him and turned to face the wall she hadn't noticed before. A row of framed portraits hung there but it was the one of John they were all focused on. 

"Base to Thunderbird 5, come in John." 

She waited. 

"Thunderbird 5 are you receiving me?" 

She waited some more, but this time her arms crossed defensively and an eyebrow rose in deliberate question.

"John?" 

She'd had enough. "Go check on him. Now. Or believe me, I'll find a way to get there myself and it likely won't be pretty, legal or safe."

Scott shot her a frustrated glare. "Do you honestly think we'd not go? Or that we'd leave him in potential danger?" 

She met the glare with one of her own. "Well I don't know, none of you noticed anything was wrong." She didn't mean to be nasty, or accuse them of anything, she was just worried sick. She'd had a nagging feeling in her gut for days, one that had gotten steadily worse until she'd been forced to call. Yes, she'd spoken to him a few times, but he'd sounded tired, distant and like he was about to fall flat on his back even though he promised he was fine. He avoided her questions on food and rest and just talked about work. 

She might have only known him for a few months and been with him in person only a dozen times, but that was enough for her to know that her life was better for having him in it and she wasn't prepared to lose him for anything. 

"I would never do anything to endanger my family. Ever." Scott's tone was sharp and held a ring of finality. 

She took a deep breath, trying to calm down and stepped down to sit beside him on the couch. Gently she laid a hand on top of his, squeezing tightly, leaning against his arm. 

"I know. And I'm sorry that I got snappy, I'm just worried."

His eyes softened and he dropped a kiss on her forehead. "I like that you really do care about him. Him, not who or what we are." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. 

"You know I do."

He smiled then, a tight smile but a smile nonetheless and squeezed her hand in return before jumping up, yelling over this shoulder to the rest of the house.

"Allie, Virg! We need you."

In less than a minute the two men raced into the room. She'd never met Alan but she'd heard enough about him from John that she felt like she knew him too. 

Virgil pulled up short when he saw her there. "Selene, when did you get here? And how?" 

"Damn, is this her?" Alan shoved his way forward, hand outstretched but Scott caught him. 

"Time enough for that later, little bro, we need you to suit up. You and I are gonna head up to 5, we need to check on our brother."

All laughter drained from their faces, instantly serious. "Why? What's wrong with him? Is he OK?" Virgil was right in there with the question.

"We don't know, he's not answering, although Selene is going to stay here with you two and keep trying while you get the sick bay ready, just in case. And call Gordon back."

Virgil nodded, already moving, as was Alan. Scott took a second to show her the button to use on the communicator and to allow the system to recognise her voice and then took off after Alan. 

***

She and Kayo had called to John more times than she could count. Over and over, begging him to answer, she only gave up when Virgil reappeared with a tray bearing three coffee mugs, one of which he handed to her. Kayo took hers and excused herself, vanishing without a backwards glance, though Selene didn't have time to wonder about it. 

Virgil cleared his throat, breaking the tense silence. 

"I've prepped the basics and gotten his room ready. Likely he's just busy and will come stomping out with them, glaring because they interrupted him."

"Does that really sound like him though? When was the last time he was so busy that he never answered?" 

Virgil swallowed, not able to bring himself to answer that question. "They should be with him any minute, he'll be fine, you'll see."

They both sipped their coffee in silence, not able to do anything but wait. 

***

Alan slid 'Three neatly into its dock and they wasted no time in gaining entry into the biggest bird. John still hadn't answered any of their calls and when he didn't appear to greet them, they began to run. 

"John?" 

"John, where are you?" 

They found his limp body flat out on the floor of the gravity ring, face down as if he had fallen and not had the strength to get up. 

"John!" 

Scott dropped down beside him. "Alan, get a stretcher, quickly!" A wide eyed, scared looking Alan took off at a run. 

"John, can you hear me?" His brother was pale as he rolled him over, his face gaunt, dark circles under his eyes. He didn't even stir when Scott shook him, calling his name. Scott checked his pulse, finding it way too fast and erratic for his liking. Not wanting to wait for Alan he hoisted his brother over his shoulder, shocked at how light he felt. John had always been a little on the slender side, mostly due to his long limbs and sleekly compact muscles, but now he felt like a bag of bones. Had he been eating at all? How had they not noticed? He dreaded to think what might have happened if Selene hadn't insisted on them coming up there. They were so used to John being the calm, capable and above all, sensible one, that they never really questioned him when he said he was fine. 

Alan met them half way and they carefully lowered John down onto the stretcher. He felt chilled, his skin like ice and they didn't know what the hell they were dealing with. 

The ten minutes it took to get him loaded into Three, detach from Five and get back to base were the longest they had ever known. 

***

Selene jumped when the eyes of Scott's portrait suddenly lit up and his voice filled the room, a holographic projection of his head and torso following almost immediately after. 

"We found him."

"Is he OK?" They had both leapt to their feet, coffees forgotten. 

"Honestly," Scott's sigh sent chills down her spine,"I don't know. He was unconscious when we got here and hasn't woken yet."

Selene sat down heavily on the couch, trying to remember how to breathe. She hadn't realised it was that bad and was mentally kicking herself for not doing anything sooner. 

She could hear the roar of what she assumed was Three's engines as it began its descent, which was their cue to move. 

She followed Virgil down a number of corridors and stairs, once again losing track of where they were going or where they had come from, only caring that she get to John. 

She stopped short, hand going to her mouth in horror. The stretcher hovered at hip height, guided by Scott as Alan finished up some hasty post flight checks on Three. 

He looked like a ghost, so pale she could almost see the veins under his skin, and deathly still. He hadn't had any weight he could stand to lose, hadn't carried an ounce of spare fat on him that she'd seen, so the weight loss that has happened was drastic and horrifying to her eyes. 

She reached out to him, wanting to touch him and noticed that her hand was trembling. She expected someone to stop her but they didn't and she took his hand, feeling it solid in her palm, but icy cold. 

Virgil took charge, picking up John's other hand and checking his pulse as they hurried him down to the sick bay. 

She tried to keep hold of his hand, but it slipped out of her grasp as a flurry of activity took over. Gordon had suddenly appeared, his hair wet as if he had come straight from the shower (she later learned that he had been out in Four and had run straight from her dock to the medical wing). He began to help assess her spaceman, having undergone paramedic and trauma training during his time in WASP. 

A rush of bloods, monitors and tests later and he was declared to be out of immediate danger. He was severely dehydrated, undernourished and suffering from sleep deprivation as far as they could tell. 

John was now sporting a snazzy IV that was pumping fluids into him, a heart and blood pressure monitor and a room full of pissed off people. 

"What the hell was he thinking, letting himself get in this state?" 

"I told him he couldn't live on bagels alone!" 

"You know he always forgets to drink..."

"He always seems to be awake and alert…"

Selene ignored them all as they did their back and forth, all she cared about at that moment was her man. And yes, she'd realised somewhere between the time that she hadn't heard from him and the moment that she had seen him being carried out of Three that she loved him completely and utterly. 

She didn't ask permission, just dragged over a chair and set up camp. She brushed the hair back from his face, not liking how his usually defined cheek bones now stood out sharp enough to cut yourself on. What the hell had he been doing? 

Letting her witchy senses explore she noticed yet again that while his body buzzed with luna energy, but his own energy was at a low. Could that have something to do with it? She pondered that for a moment or two. She knew how moon energy affected her, it made her bouncy, more energised, kept her awake all night during the full moon, he would be getting a much larger dose than she did by moon bathing on her roof. 

If he wasn't draining it off into the earth as she did, grounding the witches called it, then it could, theoretically, have just built and built until it overwhelmed his body. And knowing John, if he hadn't felt sleepy, he would have simply kept working. Being as busy as they had, it was quite possible he'd been skipping meals and forgetting to drink purely by accident, but without proper rest and fuel, his body had basically pitched a shit fit in protest and gone into shut down mode. He hadn't helped himself by staying up there so long and not being aware enough of his own limits. Or maybe too stubborn to give in. 

She laid her head down next to his on the pillow, dropping a light kiss on his cheek. They all acted like they were supermen, he was no different. He was such an idiot. 

She kicked off her shoes, ignoring the strange looks she got, and planted her feet firmly on the floor. Closing her eyes she visualised roots growing out of her feet and sinking down through the floor into the ground below, forging a connection with the earth. She placed one hand on his bare chest, hating how she could feel his ribs, and began to drain away some of the excess luna energy he held. 

She blocked out all the noise around them, blocked out the beeping of the heart monitor and the cold on her feet, focusing on nothing but him. 

She didn't know how long had passed, ten minutes, fifteen, an hour? She had sunk into a semi trance, her heart regular and slow, her breathing relaxed, forging a connection with him that encouraged his body to follow hers, their hearts slowly syncing into a shared rhythm. 

"What's she doing?" Alan whispered to Scott. They had fallen silent as they watched her quietly work. Gordon had started forward as if to stop her but Virgil had intervened, letting her continue. 

"Who cares. Whatever it is, it's working."

They all pulled up chairs of their own, sitting in a ring around his bed. As they watched the monitors they saw the numbers slowly but steadily drop. His breathing grew less laboured, his body losing the chill that had infused it and after V changed his drip for the third time, he began to get a little colour back into his pale skin. 

As the minutes passed their brother seemed to sink into the mattress, his body relaxing, all tension melting away. His features relaxed and smoothed out, leaving him looking like he was sleeping peacefully. 

They would have thought the witch had fallen asleep too, her head resting beside his, her hand still on his chest, if not for her hand slowly caressing his hair, her fingers combing through the rusty strands, but the second their brother moaned softly she shot upright, eyes snapping open to anxiously scan his face. 

"He's coming round," Gordon whispered, getting up to go to his brother's side. He laid a gentle hand on John's shoulder and gave him a little shake. "You with us, bro?" 

"John, can you hear me?" Virgil tried next but apart from a little finger twitch John remained still and asleep. 

"John?" Alan's tentative little voice made her want to cry, but she didn't, no one needed that. She kept quiet, not wanting to intrude on their family, she didn't have that right. 

Scott was last to try, but all his voice succeeded in gaining was a sleepy frown as John turned his head away from the noise. 

A warm hand came down on her shoulder, startling her. "You try." Scott's voice was soft but held all the emotions she knew that he wouldn't show to anyone at that moment. John had told her that a lot had fallen on him as the eldest when their Dad had disappeared. He was the strong one, the one that looked after everyone and again she felt guilty for accusing him of not paying attention to his middle brother. She tipped her head back to give him a smile, one that communicated everything there wasn't time to say, I'm sorry, this isn't your fault, I promise I won't hurt him, thank you for trusting me with something so precious. 

She drew her shoulders back the second Scott took his hand away, took a deep breath and let rip. 

"Space man! What the hell do you think you're doing napping when I've come all this way. Snap to it, wide awake, eyes open!"

***

He had been floating pleasantly in a warm cocoon of unconsciousness, his aching body forgotten as he rested for the first time in what felt like weeks. 

He could hear his brothers in the distance, but they were muffled and he didn't feel inclined to pay them any heed. He could sleep for a while longer, there was nothing pressing he had to attend to… Yes, sleep, oblivion, that sounded great… 

Her voice penetrated the fog of his brain with the force of a freight train and he was powerless to do anything but obey. 

Awareness of his body crashed over him, making his head spin. His stomach felt like a tightly knotted wad, his throat burned and he had an epic headache, but he forced his eyes open, praying that he hadn't been imagining her. 

***

More than one of them jumped out of their skin when, instead of sweetly talking to him as they had expected, she barked out an order that would put a drill sergeant to shame. But it worked. 

Their brother's eyes sprang open, blinking slowly before they found their focus, locking onto hers. A tiny smile flirted with his lips, but it was enough. 

Instantly she changed, all pretence of toughness gone as her body sagged with relief, although she pulled herself together quickly. 

"Hey, baby," she crooned softly, her voice losing that commanding tone, dropping to one that was sweet and full of love. She stroked her fingers down his face from his hair to cup his jaw. "You with me?" 

Her eyes filled with tears that she hurriedly blinked back, hiding them behind a smile as his lips puckered to gently kiss the tip of her finger where it rested against his cheek. 

He tried to speak but his throat was sore and his voice unused, so he contented himself with a small nod in answer to her question. He was there, he'd always be there, he'd just gotten a little lost along the way. 

The hand was back on her shoulder, squeezing tight, a silent thank you. She scooted over, making room for his brothers as they crowded around the bed. 

John's hand was shaky and uncoordinated and his grip was weak but he grabbed her hand and didn't let go, as if afraid she would vanish from his side. 

Questions fired at him from all sides and he quickly grew overwhelmed. His head was still fuzzy and all he wanted to do was sleep. He clung to her hand like it was a lifeline and, to his eternal gratitude, she seemed to understand. 

"Erm…guys? Not to tell you all what to do in your own home or anything, but I think you all need to lay off him a bit. He needs to get some food down him and then rest. So I'm gonna need one of you to behave and sit with him quietly, another of you to show me where the kitchen is and another to get him his own pillow and blankets please."

They all looked at her in shock, but that no nonsense tone was back and they were all a little too scared to argue with her, even Scott.

Uncaring as to who saw she lent over to steal a small kiss. "I'll be back soon, Star Boy, someone has to look after you, and since I'm here I might as well make myself useful." She turned back to the others with the raised eyebrow of doom and they all scrambled to do her bidding.

Scott took her chair, while Virgil offered to help her in the kitchen, Alan was dispatched to grab some of John's things to make him more comfortable while Gordon busied himself with a few more tests and observations of his sick space brother. 

***

"That was amazing, what you did back there," Virgil began, looking up from the huge lump of dough she had him kneading, having declared that he needed to put his wide shoulders to use. 

She had immediately taken over their kitchen, in the same effortless way she seemed to do everything else, she just did what she wanted and expected everyone else to fall in line or get left behind. She had dragged a bag of flour from the cupboard, found a barely in date package of yeast left over from one of Grandma's kitchen experiments, and after adding oil, water, a pinch of salt, a little sugar and a sprinkling of herbs she found in the pantry, had mixed up a thick dough that she had then dumped out on a board in front of him. 

She'd rummage in the refrigerator, harvesting every last vegetable they possessed and some left over chicken and a couple of stock pots from the pantry. She had cast a critical eye over their herb collection, declaring it to be subpar but that she'd make do. Then she had gotten to work. 

"I didn't do anything," she didn't take her eyes off the large pile of vegetables that she was chopping and throwing into a cooking pot as if she was on a production line. 

"Yes, you did. You noticed that he wasn't right when we didn't, and you were the only one of us he responded to." His big, flour covered hand enveloped hers, stopping the rocking of her knife, his eyes capturing and holding hers. "And you did something to him, something that helped, something more than we could do. I need to know what that was, because I won't let anything like that happen to him again."

Her eyes scanned the man's face, noticing all the ways in which he was similar to her spaceman's and all the ways they differed. John had a more delicate face, finer boned and his eyes were a startling greeny blue as opposed to Virgil's warm brown ones, but they had the same nose, the same forehead and the same kind soul that she was drawn to. She wanted to trust him, hell she wanted to trust them all as they had her. Maybe they wouldn't think she was crazy… 

She began to move her hand again, getting back to work and he took the hint, stepping back to give her room. 

"What do you want to know?" 

Virgil pondered this for a moment or two as he smacked at the dough monster. "How did you know he wasn't right?" 

Trust him to go straight for the question that had an embarrassing answer. Not that she was ashamed of her sex life, but he was John's brother and some people got weird like that. Still, he wanted to know so it was his fault really. She would just have to be delicate. 

"When you're with someone in a certain way," she began, keeping her eyes focused on her work, "you connect on a deeper level, well, I do anyway. It's… It's gonna sound corny-" 

"I like corny," he encouraged. 

She nodded and continued. "When you work with energy the way I do, you learn how to connect with things, people, objects, places, everything has energy. And when you share your body with someone-" 

"Sex?" V just loved to interrupt her. 

"Yes, when you share yourself with someone on a deep level, when you aren't hiding behind a mask and you're stripped bare not just physically, but mentally and emotionally too, that forms a connection that isn't limited by distance. And I guess, I guess all I can say is that something didn't feel right with him. The few times we actually managed to speak on the phone he didn't sound like himself. I didn't have a way of contacting you to check on him but when he stopped texting I got really worried."

"I'm glad you did." They were simple words but they said everything. She nodded in acknowledgement, not wanting things to get too deep. "So, what did you do back there in the med wing to help him that fast?" 

She sighed, not knowing how to explain it without sounding like a mad woman. "It's gonna sound weird…" 

"Weirder than 'I boinked your brother and now I can feel him from space'?" 

"Well anything is gonna sound bad when you use the word boinked…"

Virgil almost had the same eyebrow emphasising gifts as she did. 

"OK, OK! So, have you noticed that he gets a bit hyperactive? That he is always bouncing from one thing to the next, attention split over a million different things, and always bubbling with energy?" 

V nodded. "He wasn't always that bad, but yeah, though he tends to crash hard when we force him to come down for a break. I guess he just gets caught up in work and doesn't take care of himself enough."

She nodded, tipping all her chopped veg into the pot and putting it on the stove top to simmer. "OK, and I'm gonna guess that, being in the rescue game, you've probably noticed, or will now that you think about it, that people are more impulsive and more likely to get themselves in shit when it's the full moon?"

Gordon chose that moment to wander in looking for a bottle of water for the patient, overhearing the conversation.

"It's not just people, but all life. The moon affects the oceans, the tides and the animals as well as people. We're mostly water and the moon's gravitational pull has an effect on everything. Crime goes up, impulsive behaviour goes up and people become more reckless." He shrugged when Virgil gave him a surprised look. "It's just science, Virg." 

"Exactly, that's a perfect explanation. The moon can affect our energy levels too, and on a metaphysical level it can make us more aware, more energetic and more in tune. But it also affects and amplifies our current emotional state, or our mood. So if you're focused, you become super focused, if you're angry could become enraged, if you're sad you get overwhelmed. "

They both nodded. "Makes sense," V added as he began to divide and shape the dough into fist sized rolls as she had instructed. 

"Now imagine someone as sensitive and aware as John, being that much closer to it, for extended periods of time…" she trailed off, letting them work it out for themselves. 

They both shared a horrified glance, understanding her train of thought. They didn't tease her or call her crazy, which she was eternally grateful for. 

"So up in the med bay…"

"I drained off as much of the excess energy as I could, hoping that my theory was correct. I guessed that he'd been having trouble sleeping because of it, but being him he wouldn't rest, he'd just work through it hoping to feel tired or just conk out at some point. Keeping busy, trying to tire himself out he likely forgot to eat and probably drink too. He basically burnt himself out."

"Well it worked. What can we do to stop it happening again?" 

"I'll try to teach him how to ground himself, which is what I just did for him. Spending time connected to the earth will help, as will proper nutrition and likely scheduled rest breaks and enforced time here."

"We'll make sure he does it," Gordon promised. 

"As will I, you aren't in it alone with him now, you know that, right? You aren't getting rid of me that easily, I'm not prepared to leave him to his own devices again." Her tone allowed for no arguments on their part, she was deadly serious. 

"Wouldn't want it any other way," V assured her, stepping aside to allow her to take the dough balls from him and pop them in the proving drawer underneath the oven to rise. 

While they waited, she decided to whip up a batch of cupcakes for them all to share and set Virgil to work on squeezing a massive pile of oranges. He couldn't help but smile when she found a strainer in a drawer and filtered out a small jugs worth of juice, liking the fact that she already knew his brother hated bits in his juice. That knowledge seemed to extend out to other areas as she found a hand blender and worked all the lumps out of the soup too. John didn't do chunky food. 

The rolls were the last thing to bake and he left her arranging things on the wheeled trolley that his grandmother used to bring food to the rarely used dining room, popping along to check on his brother before heading back to help her. 

***

John hadn't wanted her to go, she was his lifeline at that moment and he knew the second she left he'd be in for a massive lecture. 

He knew he'd been stupid, not taking care of himself as he should, he just got so wrapped up in his work that he forgot that his body wasn't a machine, he wasn't a part of Five as much as it felt like he was most days, and that he needed to fuel up and recharge. 

He was used to ignoring his bodies need for food and rest, he barely noticed the nagging pains in his stomach when it was empty and cramping, he was used to constantly talking through a parched mouth. He was used to working on auto pilot when he'd been snapped out of sleep or been on the move for two days straight. Tiredness had become his constant companion, so much so that he was often over tired, running on adrenaline and sudden bursts of energy that carried him through the days. Other times he was so wired, so energetic that a small nap would set him up for days, he'd feel blissfully alert and aware of everything, his body buzzing with energy and strength. 

He hadn't noticed that, underneath his suit his body had been trying to tell him something. He'd ignored EOS and her over cautious warnings, her picking up every little change inside him thanks to his suits sensors. He had gotten fed up with her constant attention and disabled the warnings so he could work in peace. 

He'd promised himself he'd rest after the last mission, when his head had started getting a little fuzzy and he'd noticed his hands shaking when he tried to work through a software problem. He'd promised himself he'd be sensible and make some time to spend in his witch's quiet little apartment, just for a day so he could rest without the constant flurry of activity back at base, and then he'd take her with him for a visit. 

He'd promised himself all that but when it came down to it, his body had had other ideas and with the sudden wave of blackness came the floor rushing up to meet him as he collapsed on his way to the elevators dock. 

He inwardly groaned when Scott was the one to stay with him, but to his intense relief his oldest brother didn't verbally rip him a new one, he just held his hand. And that's when John knew he'd really scared them all. They sat quietly for a while, John falling into a light doze. 

Alan buzzed in and out, fetching what seemed to be half his bedroom. Once he woke up, Scott helped him up and into a pair of soft pyjamas, having been stripped of his uniform while unconscious. 

It took a lot of doing as he was unsteady on his feet, as weak as a kitten and still attached to the IV and heart monitor that Gordon insisted he keep for at least two days. 

Alan had taken away the scratchy hospital blankets and crinkly pillows and replaced them with his own warm bedding. He sank into the softness with a grateful sigh. 

He accepted the bottle of cool water, complete with a handy straw, that Gordon presented him with and slowly sipped his way through the entire thing. 

"Can I talk to you guys?" Gordon started once everyone was settled again, and at their nod, proceeded to relay the kitchen conversation. It made for interesting listening. 

***

John was still pondering the information Gordon had given them when his witch burst through the doors pushing his Grandma's serving trolley, which was practically groaning with goodness. Scott made to vacate his seat, which she had previously occupied but she waved him away and he stayed put. 

She started dishing up soup from a huge pot into bowls and handed them round to his brothers and Kayo, who had drifted back to check on him. He himself was handed a mug rather than a bowl and spoon and was grateful, he hadn't been sure if he'd be able to handle the delicacies of table manners at that moment in time. She offered round a platter of soft, warm rolls slathered in butter, encouraging them all to take at least two each and then perched herself beside him on the bed. A permanent warning glare hovered on her face, one she was merciless in deploying full force every time he stopped sipping the soup. 

She broke off a piece of bread and handed it to him. "Eat or I'll feed it to you myself," she threatened, watching him like a hawk as he dutifully dunked it in his soup to soften it enough that his throat could handle it and placed it in his mouth. Only once she was satisfied that he was taken care of did she take the bowl that Virgil handed her and eat herself. 

"Scott?" 

Scott looked up at his second youngest brother, his spoon paused half way to his mouth, waiting for him to continue. 

"Can we keep her? Because she can actually cook and she can get John to behave. Seriously, he needs to marry her or something."

John choked on his mouthful of soup, wheezing as the liquid dive bombed into his lungs. She helpfully took his mug before he spilled it everywhere and rubbed his back. 

Gordon grinned, totally unrepentant that he'd almost killed his brother, death by soup drowning. 

Selene ignored their teasing, not minding it in the slightest, letting it wash over her as she gathered up or refilled bowls as required, passing out glasses of orange juice and the last remaining bread rolls. 

She returned to John, checking his mug to make sure he hadn't left any before she forced him to lay back down after his coughing fit, even going as far as to slap his hand away from his wrist comm as he tried to sneakily check in with EOS on Five.

Satisfied that he was behaving as much as was possible for him she uncovered the plate of cupcakes to appreciative groans from his now devoted family. Even Kayo took one when they were passed around. 

They all chatted amongst themselves as they munched their way through the whole batch, though she didn't join in, not really feeling part of the familiarity of the family. She stayed by John's side, forcing a straw between his lips every few minutes so he could sip at his juice, topping up the glass every time it was empty. The boy needed all the vitamins he could get. 

They probably would have stayed there all night, but she noticed that her man was flagging, hiding his yawns behind a well placed hand and shooed them all out, all but V who insisted on helping John to the bathroom before he settled for the night. 

She excused herself to track down her belongings, wanting to freshen up herself before she spent an uncomfortable night in the chair beside his bed, because nothing on earth was going to keep her away from him. 

"I'll show you the way," Kayo offered and she gratefully accepted. 

***

Selene was guided to a nice little guest room on the other side of the house to the family rooms, not that she was actually going to use it as anything but a wardrobe. 

Kayo had helpfully placed all her bags on the bed and was about to leave when Selene spotted a small box on the bedside table. 

"Oh, that's not mine, did someone leave it behind by accident?" 

Kayo shook her head and went to grab the box.

"This is for you, it's from Brains, who is very excited to meet you by the way, I had him make it for you."

Selene frowned, confused, but took the box with a murmur of thanks and opened it. Inside was a large oval pendant, obviously amethyst, set into what looked like silver. It had a smaller crystal that looked like quartz set right in the center. 

"Wow, that's so pretty." She reached out a finger to stroke the side of the quartz and almost jumped out of her skin when a hologram popped up out of it, much like the one of Scott had done earlier, but in miniature. 

"It's a comms unit, the same technology that Penelope has in her compact but I thought this would suit you better. Now you won't have to send Gordon threatening messages on his Facebook and you can see John to keep an eye on him."

Selene grinned at the reminder of her message to Gordon. "I must apologise to him for that, but thank you, this means a lot to me, especially that you thought to make it more personal to me. I really appreciate that."

"Don't apologise, it was too funny, and you're welcome. What can I say, I respect a strong woman that does what it takes to get the job done. It's nice to have some girl power to offset all this testosterone."

Kayo headed for the door, a woman of few words who had likely used up her quota for the week already. "I'll leave you in peace to get a shower, can you find your own way back?" 

"I think so."

Kayo tapped her wrist comm. "Just call if you need rescuing." She was gone without even saying goodbye. 

Selene placed the pendant carefully on the bed and had a quick shower, not bothering to even dry her hair before getting dressed. She had chosen comfy yoga pants and an oversized shirt, nothing fancy just to sleep in. The pendant she hung around her neck, pleased that it hung quite low on her chest, not liking anything too tight. 

She succeeded in finding her way back to the med bay, only getting lost once and turned around twice, so that was definitely an improvement. She knocked on the door, making sure it was OK to go in, although Virgil told her off for it. 

"You never need to knock, it's not like you haven't seen all of him anyway."

It was sweet the way her spaceman managed to blush even when he was so pale. She spared him any more trauma by ignoring the sniggering that erupted, instead busying herself with making sure he was comfortable and had continued to drink. 

Alan had out done himself, apparently bringing in everything but the kitchen sink, which he probably would have done if not for the adjoining bathroom. A small pile of books sat waiting to be read, a small tablet on which he could watch a movie, and some snacks. The bed was now covered by a soft feeling handmade blanket and a couple of soft pillows. She pulled the youngest into a hug, just because he was so damned cute. 

Someone, likely Virgil, had dragged another bed next to his. Obviously they had guessed she intended to spend the night there and instead of arguing had done all they could to make her comfortable. 

It wasn't long before they began to drift away, wishing them good night. Gordon made sure that John's monitor was connected to both his comm and Virgil's, just to be sure, before they left them in peace, closing the door. 

***

She rounded on John the second they were alone. 

"What the hell were you doing? Dude, not eating, not drinking, not sleeping? Were you trying to kill yourself? That is not how you get out of another date!" 

"Why wouldn't I want another date?" His voice was still hoarse and unused, but it was getting stronger. 

She glared at him, arms crossed. "Seriously? Out of all I said, that's the part you chose to focus on?" 

"That was the only part that mattered."

She could throttle him, her hands itched to grab at him and she forced them down to her sides, lest she give in to the urge. "No, the part that mattered was the fact that you almost slipped into a coma because you weren't looking after yourself."

He shrugged maddeningly. "I may have underestimated how tired I was."

She groaned, covering her face with her hands. "I'm in love with an idiot." Her voice was muffled but he heard her. 

"What?" Had he heard her right? Had she actually admitted that she felt the same way about him as he did her? 

Her head snapped up, eyes locking onto his as she let go and screamed at the top of her lungs. "You're an idiot!" 

He had the cheek to grin at her. "But an idiot that you love."

She sank down on the end of his bed, forcing him to quickly move his feet out of the way, utterly done in by the whole day. He was impossible! He sat up, wrapping his arms around her. 

"I hate you." There was no real heat in her words as she leant in closer, sliding her arms around his waist. 

"No you don't, you love me." He felt like he'd been waiting forever to hear her say those words, and to be able to say them back. Gone was the last, tiny lingering doubt that she wasn't truly as wonderful as she appeared to be. Her actions had proved her love even before she had admitted it, but now he found himself fully relaxing. Now he knew nothing could ruin this. 

"I'm beginning to rethink that."

"No you aren't," his laugh was weaker than normal but very welcome. He knew her ways now, knew that she never meant the seemingly mean things she said, she always had love in her heart. 

"I am."

"Are not," he hugged her tighter, then laid back against the pillows, taking her with him. She shifted until she was laying beside him, squashed together on the bed. 

He turned his head for a kiss, something that always thrilled her, she loved the way he had grown so much more confident in their time together. 

"I love you too, you know that?" It felt so good to say the words that he felt like he'd been holding in forever. She loved him. It didn't matter how unwell he felt, how weak or tired, how much his body ached, nothing could bring him down from this high. 

"I should bloody well think so after this." She'd meant it as a joke and he did give her a little smile, taking her words in the spirit of which they were meant, but he soon turned serious. 

"I'm sorry. It wasn't intentional. As you said, I'm an idiot." He rolled over onto his back, taking her with him, his fingers combing through her damp hair, easing out a few tangles that snagged his hand. 

"Gordon and Virgil explained what happened, or at least what you think happened. It makes sense in a strange way. I always feel more energised up there, more reckless, I guess it's a bit addictive. I always feel like I'm missing something when I'm not up there."

She nodded, she could understand that. She had an affinity with the moon, always being able to sense what phase it was in and feel the subtle differences in energy from it. It looked like her spaceman was as sensitive as she was, maybe more so. 

"Virg said you helped me before I woke up, something to do with draining it away?" She nodded again, not really trusting herself to speak. She'd been here with guys before, thought that she could trust them with her heart and when she had opened up and showed them the stranger sides of her craft, they had run a mile. 

John was silent for a few minutes, long enough for her to think he had fallen asleep, but then he spoke. 

"Have you done that to me before?" 

She tensed, unsure how to answer. She didn't want to lie to him, but also didn't want him to feel like she had invaded his privacy and acted without his consent. John was a big one for consent, always seeking permission, afraid to touch without her say so at first. He could hate her if she said yes. Did she risk losing someone she cared so much about, someone she was crazy mad in love with, or have lies between them? He was trusting her with one of the most important secrets in the world, that of his family and his organisation. She had to give him the same trust back. 

Slowly, hesitantly, she nodded, already pulling away, trying to get out of his arms without hurting him, but he wouldn't let her. 

"I'm sorry, I never meant to do that without your permission, I was just trying to help. I'm so sorry."

She turned to look at him, expecting to see hatred in his eyes, but instead all she saw was confusion. 

"Why are you sorry? There's nothing to be sorry for. You were trying to help, you did help."

He pulled her closer again and she rolled onto her side to face him, nose to nose, chest to chest. 

"You don't hate me?" 

"Now who's being an idiot?" 

"So unfair."

He rubbed his nose against hers in the most adorably cute way. "I could never hate you, I love you too much."

She couldn't help but smile as he raised a hand to brush away a stray tear that she didn't know had escaped her ironclad control. 

"From the moment I heard your voice you intrigued me, you challenged me, you demanded and you yelled. I thought you were crazy."

She snorted at that, but couldn't deny it. 

"Then I saw you, stuck in that tree and I knew you would be trouble. But I also knew that I'd do anything for you and that wasn't just because you were in need of rescue."

"I was pretty stuck…"

"And then, when I thought you weren't going to call I tortured myself for days, I stopped myself calling, I even deleted your number." 

"How dare you!" she accused in mock outrage, but she was laughing now. 

"I knew you would be the most chaotic person I would ever meet, and I have Gordon for a brother." She bit his nose lightly in retaliation for the comparison. He wiggled his nose and grinned at her but didn't stop. 

"I never expected to find calm peace in your arms, more calm than I feel up there. One touch and I was yours."

"Is that a good thing?" 

"Most definitely. Maybe Gordon was right, maybe you did cast a spell on me, but if you did, then I'm glad."

"You, are an adorable idiot. You scared the crap out of me. When I couldn't feel you properly, I knew something was wrong and I couldn't do anything to help. I had to break the rules, but I'm glad I did, because when I saw you, I had a sudden flash of what my life, even the world, would be like without you in it, and it was awful. Don't you ever do that to me again."

"But I'm your idiot, and now you're stuck with me and my crazy family, because I think Gordon and Alan would pitch a fit if you left and no one fed them, Scott needs you to keep me under control, Virgil just wants you to keep cooking with him, Brains wants to ask you a million questions because Scott brought him your smashed up broom for fun and Kayo needs another woman around so she's not drowning in testosterone. Grandma will love you too when she comes back from staying with her sister."

She delved between their bodies to drag out the pendant, showing it to him." I've been claimed, I think."

His eyes lit up with interest and he pulled himself upright to have a closer look." Is that a comm? That's amazing. Brains has really outdone himself this time, it suits you."

He wrapped the chain around his fingers, using it gently reel her in closer and place a light kiss on her lips. "So, two questions then…"

She nodded, willing to answer anything. 

"One, do you forgive me for being an idiot and scaring you that way? I never meant to do that, I obviously need you to keep me in check."

"Obviously I forgive you, and I accept that you can't help being an idiot. What's the second question?" 

"Will you teach me how to help myself?" 

***

The witches yell carried all the way to the main room where they all sat, checking in on things on Five.

Scott raised an eyebrow, Kayo nodded approvingly and Gordon barked out a laugh. 

"She's right, he is an idiot," Virgil commented.

"Do you think we should go and check on him in case she's beaten him to death?" Alan asked, though he didn't really sound that worried. 

Scott shook his head. "Let's leave them for a bit, we'll check on them in an hour or so."

They fell into a comfortable silence for a few minutes until Gordon broke it by speaking the words they were all thinking. 

"We're lucky he's OK. If we hadn't left when we did things could have gotten a lot worse."

Scott nodded. "I know. We would have gone to check on him when we didn't hear from him or he didn't answer, but it might have been too late by then."

"She's good for him," Vigil mused. "Did you see the way he looked at her? We might as well have not existed."

"Do you think our brother might actually be in love?" Alan grinned. "Never thought that would happen."

"Bit unfair really," Gordon grumbled good-naturedly. "The one person who is hardly ever on earth, never goes out and doesn't like people is the one that manages to find a cool girlfriend. It's crazy."

Scott shrugged. "Maybe, out of all of us, he's the one that needed someone the most."

They all pondered that for a while before starting on their own evening activities, gathering snacks, checking the news, watching a show, until they slowly got tired and began to drift off one after the other. 

Virgil and Scott were the last to leave, stopping by the med bay on their way to bed. 

They pushed the door open as slowly and quietly as possible, not wanting to disturb John if he was resting. Their eyes opened wide as they took in the sight before them. 

The room was practically in darkness all except little pinpricks of light glowing on the ceiling, dancing this way and that, swirling in slow rotations. It was only when Scott looked closely that he could pick out a couple of well known constellations. She had somehow turned the ceiling into the night sky directly as it was above their heads at that moment. 

Selene was resting against his pillows, her arm around his shoulders, John fast asleep with his head resting on her chest, one arm around her middle. She looked up from her phone as the door opened, giving them a small smile. 

Virgil shot her a thumbs up in question, "you both OK?" and she answered the same way. 

"Need anything?" Scott whispered. She glanced down at John, nuzzling her cheek against his hair, then shook her head. She had everything she needed right there. 

They slowly closed the door, exchanging a shocked and awestruck glance, unable to believe what they had seen. Not just the display of what must indeed be magic, but the fact that their brother was perfectly at ease with someone other than them. Maybe that was the truly magical thing. 

Gordon checked in a few hours later, finding her in exactly the same position, still awake, still holding his brother who slept deeply, not even stirring when Gordon checked his IV, changing the bag and silenced the beeping of the heart monitor, though he did leave the alarm on, just in case. But he was no longer worried, his brother was out of danger and in the safest hands possible. 

Scott was the first one up the next morning, leaving the others to sleep in after the stresses of the previous day and the late night. 

He opened the door as quietly as possible, half expecting the witch to still be awake but she wasn't. John was. 

He was sitting up in bed, reading one of his books. The witch was curled up further down the bed, his legs over hers, her head on his lap, fast asleep. John put the book down quietly, beckoning to his brother. 

Scott took the seat beside the bed. 

"When did she crash?" he kept his voice pitched barely above a whisper. 

John smiled, absently stroking the hair back from her face. "When I woke up and forced her to try to rest. I told her she couldn't nag at me if she didn't set a good example."

Scott snorted softly. "Bet that went down well."

"She wasn't impressed, I may have had to use underhanded tactics."

"Do I want to know?" 

John shook his head. "Probably not. Took her less than five minutes to drift off, she must have been exhausted."

"She was awake all night, she wouldn't leave you."

"I know." 

Scott watched the way his brother, the one that hardly ever touched anyone, casually raked his fingers through her hair, teasing out a few knots. He'd seen the way they had interacted at Penny's ball, and the confidence she seemed to give his brother but he was still surprised to see it. Usually when John was home he needed a few days of quiet to adjust. He would be uncoordinated, forgetful as to where he put things, his body ached and his skin was too sensitive after being in zero gravity for so long, yet here he was, as close as could be with someone who wasn't family. 

John glanced down as he worked on a particularly stubborn knot, a tangle of purple and black strands. She shifted slightly in her sleep but didn't wake. 

"You have to look after yourself better, you know that, right?" 

John looked up at his brother. "I didn't do it on purpose, but yes, I know. If I don't, she'll hunt me down."

"We'll help her," Scott glanced down at the woman who had captured his brothers attention and then his heart. "You got lucky, bro."

"She's going to make my life hell, isn't she? She's going to be nagging me, bossing me around and never giving me a moments peace."

"Yep," Scott grinned. "That a problem?" 

John shook his head. "I'm good with that." 

***

"John...please?" Alan whined, giving his brother his best puppy dog eyes. 

"I am not marrying her so she will keep making you pizza!" 

Selene deposited another slice on Alan's plate as she passed, dropping a kiss on the top of his head. She absolutely adored that boy. "Thanks for the backup, but I'd hope, if we ever did get married, which witches don't do by the way, it would be for something important, like my sense of humour or my butt."

"But...pizza…" 

"I'll teach you how to make it, will that do you?" 

"It won't taste the same. You use witch magic or something." 

"It's just pizza, babe. You'll be fine."

She offered another slice to Gordon, who took it with a grin of thanks, then dropped down on the couch next to John, who stole the last slice off the plate she held. He was up and about, recovering remarkably well, eating everything she put in front of him, constantly chugging from a water bottle and learning how to ground himself. His cheeks had lost their hollow look, his eyes no longer had dark circles and his strength had all but returned. It has taken him a few days to adjust to being back on earth but now he was looking almost as healthy as normal. 

"There's another one in the oven," she called out to Kayo, who had wandered over, following the scent of food. She abruptly turned, dragging Brains with her to make sure he ate too. 

Selene had met the genius behind her comm pendant the day after John had woken up properly, and only then because she felt it was safe to leave him. 

She had spent more than four hours with him trying to explain how her broom worked and, after hearing about her little light show from the older two, how she managed to conjure such things. 

But how did you explain something that came naturally to you? How did you explain something that was as simple as breathing once you learnt how to focus your intent? She'd spent over an hour conjuring little things, levitating others and manipulating the elements. Scott had come to rescue her in the end. 

"Do you really have to go?" Virgil asked. 

She nodded. "Afraid so. I've been here over a week already, my plants are probably all dead, and while I can work from home at my place I don't know if it would work here, not unless I can get a secure phone line that's untraceable and keep bugging you guys for a ride every time I have a job come in."

Virgil and Scott exchanged looks, then glanced from Brains to John. 

"It's doable," Scott finally answered. 

"What is? What's with the non verbal whispering? Share with the class." 

"A secure line isn't an issue at all, and we can give you your own room to use as an office if you want it, and none of us would mind taking you anywhere." 

She looked from one face to another, not quite sure what to say. Thankfully John took pity on her and came to her rescue. 

"How about, for now, we try a compromise? Sel can keep her apartment and stay there when she needs or wants to, and when I'm home, which will be a lot more often, I promise, she can be here with us."

It was the perfect solution, she didn't have to give up her independence or peace and quiet, they would still have somewhere private to go if they wanted to, and she knew she was welcome there any time. 

***

She closed the door behind her and stared around her apartment. It was quiet, too quiet 

She'd expected an emotional goodbye with her spaceman, that was a given, he had been deathly ill and now she was having to trust him and let him go back. But she hadn't expected it to be so hard to leave everyone else. She was missing them all already, even Kayo with her hard ass ways and Brains with his constant questions. She had met Grandma Tracy and instantly fallen in love with the tough old bird, who had given her the biggest hug in the world and then told her she was too skinny and could do with some colour in her wardrobe. 

It had been a long time since she had been in the middle of a family and even though they had been chaotic and loud, they were welcoming and loving in a way that pulled you in and made you feel at home. 

She made her way up to her little roof garden, taking some time to tend her flowers and try to repair some of the damage that almost 2 weeks of neglect had done to them. 

She glanced at her phone, having managed to waste no more than an hour. She was weakening… 

She sat down cross legged in the center of her circle and lifted up her pendant. 

"Hey, Space Man."


	8. Witch Flu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The witch has flu and it's not pretty.

The witch had looked after him for weeks after his little miscalculation, building him back up to full health and insisting that he learn to ground himself properly before she or Scott allowed him back up in 'Five. Alan had taken over for a few weeks, with minimal bitching due to the circumstances, and she had spent hours with him, Brains and Gordon, trying to explain exactly what it was that she did. 

She had taken him out to different places on the island, shown him how to connect with the earth, how to recognise the energy inside him and visualise how to drain it off. She'd helped him collect little natural items that took his fancy and showed him how to cleanse them and use them as a portable piece to drain off into while in space. 

No one wanted to speak the words, but they all knew that she had played a large part in saving his life and was now making sure that it didn't happen again. 

She'd done so much to take care of him, and now it was his turn to look after her. 

He was stretched out on his bed with his witch passed out on top of him. Her head was tucked under his chin where they lay chest to chest, her legs between his. She was snoring loudly, her nose blocked by snot, her chest rattling with every breath. 

Witch flu she called it, and it was having an interesting effect on her. Everyone was walking around in a permanent state of alertness. Not only was she grumpy and liable to sneeze in your face, but each sneeze seemed to have a consequence. 

She wasn't really one to show off her gifts, preferring to keep them to herself for the most part, but it seemed that when she sneezed they escaped her careful control. 

One sneeze had set every candle alight in the little used dining room, another had popped a lamp, another had caused a mad panic when one of Gordon's fish had been launched out of its tank when a small tidal wave had swept through the water, leaving it flopping around on the floor. Now Scott had taken to carrying a small fire extinguisher on his belt, Virgil had his multitool in his pocket to fix any blown fuses or appliances, Brain's was following her around like she was an alien, Gordon had locked lids onto every tank and Alan was just finding it hilariously funny. 

When she had a coughing fit things tended to fall over or float somewhere they shouldn't, items vanished and turned up in random places and when anyone but John touched her they got a wicked electric shock. Brains found her fascinating and begged her at least four times a day to allow him to examine her "just for five minutes" and was constantly trying to steal her used tissues to analyse. 

John was the only one that knew how she was at night. She slept fitfully, unable to breathe or sleep deeply enough to get much rest, alternating between burning up and freezing cold no matter how many blankets he piled on top of her. He'd woken a number of times to find his things gently floating around the room or her hovering a few inches above the mattress. The first time it had happened had scared the hell out of him but now he simply pulled her down into his arms, held her tight and soothed her back into restfulness. He didn't understand what she did or how she did it, but he'd always been one to believe the things he saw with his own eyes and he couldn't deny just how magical she really was. 

The tables had turned and now he was the one forcing her to eat and drink, forcing her to rest while she was the one grumping at him and muttering dire threats under her breath. He didn't take it personally. 

If she refused to go to bed she could often be found cuddled on the couch or on his lap, wrapped in a blanket like a witchy burrito, clutching a hot chocolate to her chest and growling at anyone who came too close. Virgil had attempted to take her temperature but she'd tried to bite his finger and now he was refusing to go near her. 

***

"Come on, witchy, just let me look at your throat." 

"D'oh," she sneezed, shaking her head. 

"It won't hurt," Gordon coaxed. 

"Don't care." 

"Your glands look swollen, let me just…" he reached towards her but she ducked away, trying to burrow deeper into the blankets. 

John opened his arms and she shuffled onto his lap. Boyfriend would protect her. Wrapping his arms around her he cuddled her against his chest. Lifting his head he caught his brother's gaze and nodded. 

Gordon pounced while John held her tight. 

"Betrayal!" she screamed hoarsely, wiggling like a worm, but wrapped as tightly as she was she didn't have a hope of getting free. 

John managed to hold her down with one arm, weakened and feeble as she was and guided her head back with a hand on her forehead. 

"Careful, she bites," Virgil commented in amusement as he watched from his safe spot across the room. 

"Vengeance will be mine!" 

Gordon ignored her threats as he held the thermometer in her ear, scowling when he saw the read out. He pulled a tongue depressor out of his back pocket and forced it between her tightly closed lips. 

She gagged as it hit the back of her tongue and he took full advantage to shine a light into her mouth, making a face at what he saw. 

"That bad?" John held her tighter as she attempted to buck off his lap and throw herself sideways to get away. 

"Not pretty, but at least she's not contagious to us."

"Screw you," she huffed, spitting out the tongue depressor. 

"Will you please stop offering yourself to my brothers?" 

"No, Scott wouldn't betray me like this! I want to swap."

"No you don't," John kissed the top of her head, ignoring her outraged huff. 

Gordon hid a grin as his fingers felt their way gently down her neck, feeling how swollen and tender it was. It was always amusing to watch the way his brother and the witch interacted. 

Honestly, if anyone had told him a few months before that his antisocial hermit of a brother, the one who hardly ever recognised sarcasm or a joke, would be comfortable enough with someone to tease the way they did, he'd have never believed it. It was good to see. John was more confident now, more relaxed in general and more likely to spend time away from 5, something they all appreciated. He never seemed to take her words seriously, seeming comfortable in the knowledge that she loved him dearly and that wouldn't change. He certainly had something special. 

She sagged back, giving up the fight, deciding she didn't need her independence that much. 

Gordon offered her a couple of tablets but she refused them, squinting in distrust at them. 

"They're just herbal vitamins." 

He smiled when she gave up and opened her mouth allowing him to pop them in. "Wash them down with this," he stuck the straw in her mouth and she gulped the orange juice. 

"I hate you."

"I don't care as long as you get better," Gordon wasn't easily offended. 

John gave her a hug then let go. 

"I hate you too," she accused but didn't move off his lap. 

"So you keep saying," he soothed. "Want to try some soup now? 

***

"John?" 

Alan's upper body appeared in hologram form above the coffee table. 

He looked up from the report he was studying. "Yeah?" 

"EOS is in a mood, she's locked down the kitchen and won't let me onto the gravity ring. She's demanding you come back up. I think she's jealous."

John sighed, looking down at the witch that was dozing on his shoulder. He didn't want to leave her, but it looked like he'd have to, they needed Five to be fully operational. He had no choice. 

"I doubt it's that, she's probably just bored and playing up because I'm not there. I'll come and spend a few hours with her, get some work done and we can both come back down later. Grandma wants to make us all dinner, she's insisting."

He shifted Selene gently off his arm and laid her down against the arm of the couch. She grumbled in her sleep as she curled up, settling down, but didn't wake. 

"I'll try and get back before you wake, OK?" he stroked the hair back from her face and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. She still didn't move. "Obviously I'll be very missed." 

"She OK?" Alan loved the witch and had been checking in on her at least twice a day. 

John strode towards Five's docking station at a quick clip, not wanting to waste time. "Yeah, I think she's getting a bit better, only four things blew up yesterday."

"I still find it crazy, and so freakin' cool, that she does that."

"Yeah, takes a little getting used to." He put his hand up to the scan lock and waited for the door to open. 

"Worth it though, right?" 

"Oh yes." 

Alan had sent the elevator down while they were talking and it was waiting for him when he got to her dock. He settled himself in the seat and relaxed back, letting it take him away from earth. 

***

"EOS, do you want to explain yourself?" John crossed his arms, tapping his foot as he stared down her camera lens. 

"No." The childlike voice held a tone of finality. 

"Why won't you let Alan out of the monitoring station?" 

"Because I don't want to."

"John, I really need to pee!" 

EOS giggled. 

"EOS this is not nice. We talked about this, you cannot just do whatever you decide without my permission. Alan is helping me, he is helping International Rescue while I'm busy."

"Busy with her."

John frowned, maybe there was something in Alan's theory. "Busy in general, you know I wasn't well and that I've had to learn to spend more time on earth."

"I heard you talking with Alan, you said you weren't coming back until she was well enough, that you wouldn't leave her. But you left me."

"EOS we are not having this discussion, I did not leave you for anyone. You are my friend, you are a great help to me, but I cannot stay up here all the time anymore, I need to be with my family on earth."

"She's not your family, yet you want to be with her too."

"She is my family, not the same way as everyone else, but I do love her, just as I do them."

"John, this isn't helping, maybe you should stop taunting the machine- oww!" 

"Alan! What happened?" 

"Electric shock from the door, I tried it again."

That pissed him off, no one electrocuted his brothers but him. "EOS, listen to me, you need to stop this, right now! Let Alan out so we can go back to base."

"No, you won't come back again."

John took a deep breath, trying to keep his cool. This was going to be a long day. 

***

Her head felt fuzzy from her nap and she had the worst sore throat in the history of sore throats, but worst of all was the fact that she seemed to be missing one spaceman. 

She sneezed in disgust at this discovery and heard a yelp from the direction of the kitchen.

"Sorry!" she croaked. 

"No problem, I'd finished with that anyway," Gordon yelled back, coming in a minute later with two mugs. He handed her one which she gratefully accepted, taking an experimental sip. Gordon was a fan of chamomile tea and while she didn't care for it straight she found she liked the way he doctored it with honey and lemon. Plus it was soothing on her throat. Although, with her nose so stuffed she could barely taste it. 

She sipped again, moaning softly in pleasure as the warmth hit her insides, the honey coating her throat on the way down. 

"Better?" 

She nodded. "Much better, thank you. My throat feels like I've been deep throating a cactus."

He snorted out a laugh, even sick she was amusing to talk to.

"Where is everyone? It's surprisingly quiet."

He slurped down some tea before answering, doing a mental roll call. 

"Kayo is still busy on the mainland, Grandma is in the kitchen, Scott's in his office I think, Brains is still fiddling with something in his workroom and I think Virg is taking the time to do some non urgent maintenance on Two." He placed his mug on the coffee table. "John had to go up to Five to help Alan with something, so I guess you're stuck with me."

"Happily stuck." Having forgiven him for his enforced temperature takings and pill popping after she actually started to feel better, she finished her own tea and set her mug beside his before sliding along the couch to join him. She shared her blanket by spreading it across both their laps, then curled her legs up like a cat. She lifted his arm, draped it around her shoulders and snuggled up to his side. 

"Wanna watch a movie?" he asked, giving her a squeezy hug. 

"Sure, but nothing too girly."

***  
John sighed, just barely resisting the urge to bang his head against the wall he was leaning against. He was sitting on the floor, still trying to reason with his annoying AI. 

"EOS, let him out. I promise you that I'm not replacing you. She's been helping me."

"But I help you, that is my job, she hasn't even been here."

"And you do it very well, I'd be lost without you now. But I need her help too. Do you understand that?"

The AI ignored him. 

He'd tried threats, he'd tried reasoning with her and he'd tried ordering but nothing had worked. He racked his brains trying to think of another tactic. Finally, inspiration struck. Guilt!

" EOS?"

"Yes, John?" somehow she managed to make her electronic voice sound hesitant. 

"Why didn't you call for help when I collapsed?" 

The AI was silent for a few moments, her ring of lights blinking slowly on and off before she answered. "You told me you were OK every time I questioned you. I know that you do not like it when I talk to others when you aren't there."

"If I hadn't gotten help, if Scott and Alan hadn't come for me, I would likely be dead. Then I really would have left you, then you really would be alone. Because you couldn't help me. You would have been here, alone, because I'd be gone."

"I would not have wanted that."

John nodded. "I know, but that's the thing, EOS, you are such a help to me in so many ways up here, but you couldn't help me with that. You aren't human and you didn't know that anything was wrong, you didn't know that I was lying to myself as well as everyone else. But Selene did. She noticed and she made sure I got the help I needed, and she is making sure that I don't need that kind of help again. You understand?"

EOS was quiet for a few moments, processing his words."I understand. The fact that I am not human is useful in some ways but not in others. You need other humans to be of help when I cannot."

"Yes, that's exactly right. She didn't want to leave me when I was unwell, and I didn't want to leave her. I wanted to help her as she helped me." John held his breath, hoping he had gotten through to her. 

There was an audible click and the hatch to the comms sphere opened. Alan rushed past John, heading to the bathroom. 

"Thank you, EOS." John got to his feet. "You don't have to be here alone, you can help Alan when he comes back, or you could work with Grandma or Brains, and I'll be back up here soon."

"Once she is better?" 

"Yes, once she's better." Acting on instincts he blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "I'd like you to meet her, I'd like to bring her up here to see what we do. Would you like that?" 

"Will she be my friend too?" 

John nodded, smiling at her camera lens. "I'm sure she will, she's friends with everyone."

***

John walked into the main room with Alan, finding almost all of his family already there. His witch was reclined on one of the couches like a queen. She was propped up by a pillow and sitting on Gordon's lap, her legs stretched over Scott's while Virgil had possession of her feet, which she had tucked under his butt, likely in an effort to keep them warm, how they had all managed to squish on one couch was a complete mystery. All four of them were buried under a pile of blankets, no doubt demanded by Selene. Kayo was on the other couch, needing her own space, and had a large bowl of popcorn on the table which she was sharing with Gordon. And every single one of them were glued to the holo-projector where a movie was playing. 

He raised an eyebrow as Alan left his side and rushed over to join them, sitting on the floor in front of the couch. Without taking her eyes off the screen Selene's arm snaked out of her blanket nest and around Alan, drawing him into their cuddle pile. 

"This is cosy," John commented dryly, though secretly he was happy to see how comfortable they were together. 

"She's ours now," Gordon told him. 

"You snooze, you lose," Scott added, then smiled evilly. "I heard she wanted to swap."

"No room for you, Johnny," Virgil grinned, shooing him off with a wave of his hand. "But I'm sure Grandma could use some help with dinner."

"Might make it edible then," Alan mumbled under his breath as Kayo helpfully offered him a handful of popcorn. 

Selene turned her head just in time to avoid spraying Alan as she sneezed loudly into a tissue that Kayo handed her. A light overhead popped quietly, but no one mentioned it. 

"Well, I know when I'm not needed." Smiling to himself he headed to the kitchen, leaving then to their film. 

***

They all watched in horrified silence as the witch practically inhaled the food on the plate in front of her. 

"How is she doing that?" Scott side-whispered to John, who just shook his head mutely. 

"It's not gonna be pretty when she pukes," Alan shuffled away out of splash range. 

"Why are you all whispering?" Grandma demanded to know. "It's rude." She smiled fondly at Selene and spooned another large dollop of what was supposed to be some kind of curry onto her plate. 

"How is she not dead?" Virgil mouthed to John, who shrugged and mouthed back, "witch magic?" 

"Eat up you guys," Grandma encouraged, dropping the spoon back into the pot with a clang, "there's plenty more."

They all took another small bite and chewed as best they could, the potent blend of hot spices mixed with burnt meat and crunchy undercooked rice hitting their taste buds. Only Scott was strong enough not to gag. 

One by one they excused themselves, leaving the witch to keep on eating. 

John, in a show of solidarity to his girl, stayed with her, just in case he suddenly had to grab her a bucket to unload the contents of her stomach. 

***

"What's your secret?" Brains begged to know, having managed no more than four bites of his own food. 

They were back in the couch camp, although this time John had managed to secure himself a place in the middle of the blanket nest and Brains had joined them. 

She shrugged. "It wasn't that bad. I can't taste anything at the moment with my nose so blocked up and I hoped the spices would clear my head. What is it they say, feed a cold and starve a fever?" 

That made way too much sense for Alan who made a disappointed face. 

"What did I do?" 

"Nothing," John leant in to steal a quick kiss but gagged the second their lips touched. 

"Charming," she frowned, playfully nudging him away. 

"Smooth, bro."

"I can still taste it," John groaned in horror, scrubbing at his lips with his hand. 

"It wasn't that bad!" 

***

A week later and her cold was a distant memory, everyone had stopped walking around looking like they expected the ceiling to cave in on them any minute and John was due to leave for Five the next morning. 

"I'm gonna miss you, spaceman," she sighed a she flopped down onto his bare chest. 

"Mmm," he grunted in return, clumsily patting her shoulder, too exhausted to move. 

She raised an eyebrow, lifting her head to look at him. His eyes were closed and he had that blissed out look that men got when they had been rung dry and just wanted to sleep. 

She poked his chest with her finger. "Dude."

He opened one eye at her prodding. "What?" 

"Nothing," she gave up, laying her head back down to nuzzle against his shoulder. She wasn't too annoyed with him, obviously she knew he'd miss her, he told her often enough, but it was still hard to go from having him around almost 24 hours a day for almost a month to snatching a few hours together here and there. It wouldn't be enough. 

His fingers stroked along her spine, tracing little swirling patterns on her skin and she relaxed, enjoying his touch. 

"I won't be missing you that much."

She stiffened, frowning at his shoulder. He what now? Obviously she knew she wasn't the most important thing in his life, but she had hoped she'd be somewhere in the top ten. 

If he noticed that he was about to have a very pissed off witch on his hands he didn't show it. 

"Well, I guess that's nice to know," she ground out between clenched teeth. So much for relaxing. 

"I'll keep visiting. I'm sure Alan and Scott will take good care of you but I want to be there to help too."

Did she need taking care of? Was she a chore now? What did she even say to that? "Thank you?" 

He looked at her for the first time, a frown creasing his forehead. Had he said something wrong? "Did you not want me to help with your training?" 

It was her turn to look confused. "Training?" 

He sighed, the sound of a very put upon man who was trying to be patient. "Yes, training. You can't just float around without any preparation."

"Float around?" Was she being dumb? Was she missing something? 

He pointed up, "Zero G in the sphere, you know that."

The last piece clicked into place. "Wait a second, hold up, Space Boy, are you trying to say you want me up there, with you?" 

"Of course, why wouldn't I? I thought that was obvious."

"No, it wasn't obvious! You never said anything!" 

"I didn't?" 

"No!" 

He paused for a second, then shrugged, wrapping his arms around her. 

"Well, you are in love with an idiot."


	9. Operation Witchonaut

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You can't just float around up there you know...

"You're enjoying this way too much."

Gordon floated peacefully on his back, sunglasses on, looking for all the world like he was asleep. 

"Is there such a thing as too much?" 

She thought about it for a moment or two, looking up at the sun blazing above them. The water around them was unusually warm and it really was very peaceful to simply lie back and allow the gentle rocking to soothe your body. 

They floated side by side in the Dead Sea, the first step of what Alan has taken to calling "Operation Witchonaut" but that Gordon was calling Jolene. Apparently it was their ship name, and more annoying than the name was his tendency to start singing Dolly Parton at the drop of a hat. 

This was apparently to get her used to the feeling of her body floating and to allow her to relax. That was the first problem, she was not a relaxy kind of person. She found it almost impossible to do nothing. 

"Why do I get the feeling you didn't volunteer to help me with this out of the goodness of your heart?" 

"Because you're naturally very suspicious."

She laughed. "That's just mean! Maybe I simply know you too well by now to trust you."

He didn't take it personally, which was something she loved about him. Gordon was the joker of the family, always there with a cheeky grin and a teasing comment, much like herself. 

"How long have we been out here for?" 

Gordon lifted his wrist to check his comm. "About twenty minutes, you've got to do at least an hour."

"Urghhh I'm so bored! We can't even swim in this, it's just floating."

"You're a strange, strange woman, Sel."

She sighed. "I know." She flapped her hands in the water, trying to propel herself around but only succeeded in turning in a circle, like the time she had tried kayaking and couldn't go forwards or backwards. Stuck in an endless loop of circling. She grabbed his leg and pulled herself closer, laying her head on his stomach. 

"The next part of your training will be more interesting, but let's hope you have a strong stomach. If I were you, I'd enjoy this while you can."

***

"Holy shit, no! I take it back. Let me go back to the sea!" 

Alan grabbed her around the waist, dragging her into Thunderbird 1. Scott tried his hardest to hide his smile but failed miserably, earning himself a death glare. 

"You'll love it, I promise!" Alan pleaded, yanking at her hand where it was latched on to the back of Scott's seat. 

Scott helpfully peeled her fingers off his headrest allowing Alan to haul her backwards and deposit her in her seat. 

"Strap in, Witchy. This 'bird isn't moving without you being secure."

Alan carefully strapped her in, giving his brother a thumbs up. 

"I'm already regretting this," she commented to no one in particular. 

"So am I," Scott muttered under his breath as the engines fired. 

***

At least she hadn't screamed the whole time they were steadily climbing upwards, she'd managed to stop after the first initial yelp of shock, though her fingers were white on the seat, she gripped it so tight. 

She'd been OK in Thunderbird 2 because she was likely still been in shock and hadn't really had time to overthink it like she was now. When she'd jumped into Thunderbird S with Kayo she'd been thinking only of John and how worried she was about him. Nothing could have kept her away from him, she would have walked through fire to make sure he was alive and well. She just wished he had been able to get away to be with her for this, he was better at keeping her calm. Unfortunately he'd been called upon to assist the GDF and Kayo with a remote hack and recon of a suspicious company that was making waves within the private security sector. 

They had picked the right day, the right weather conditions and the quietest time and couldn't change their plans now. So here she was, down one spaceman but up two brothers. She could do this. She had to do this. 

She felt the craft level out and she could breathe again. Honestly it was nice of Scott to call in one of the favours owed to him by an old Air Force friend who knew the right people. It wasn't easy to borrow a hollowed out and padded plane, but somehow Scott had worked his magic. 

Landing was different to taking off, mostly because they just lowered to the ground horizontally, which she could cope with. 

Was she supposed to feel this nervous? She regularly flew on her broom, but that was different, that was an extension of her, her magic, her energy, her mind, all combined to create the lift and zoom she needed. She felt free on it, in control and until her little accident, very safe. This, this was out of her control. If she was honest with herself, that was likely where her worries lay. 

Two set of blue eyes stared at her expectantly and she had no choice but to move. She'd fumbled while unbuckling herself and Scott had helped. She clung to Alan's arm as Scott introduced them both to his friend and signed the paperwork to allow him control over the plane. 

Once again she was strapped into a seat and left with no choice but to hold on and pray. Scott took the plane up steadily, nowhere near as fast as he would if it had been his own craft. She didn't know if it was out of respect for the fact that it wasn't his baby or out of consideration to her, but she was grateful either way. 

Scott levelled out and called back to let them know it was safe to leave their seats and make their way to the padded center of the craft. Alan took a bag with him which he tucked carefully away in a storage locker near the floor. 

They lay down side by side on the floor and waited. They began to climb, faster than before and she grabbed his hand, clinging tight. 

"Here we go!" Scott called from his position up front and she closed her eyes in horror, feeling a heavy pressure all over her body as they shot up into the air. 

The plane seemed to stop as if teetering on the tip of a mountain and suddenly her stomach dropped like when driving over a hill, and then they were floating. She yelped and flailed, almost punching Alan in the eye, but he didn't take it personally. 

For all his jokes and cheeky humour he was a good teacher, keeping her calm for the duration of the maybe 20 - 30 seconds that they were airborne. She felt the plane dip sharply and down they floated. 

"You good?" Scott called. 

Alan looked at her and she gave him a weak thumbs up. 

"Yeah, we're cool."

"Right, going again."

This time she was prepared. She had imagined it would be something like a roller-coaster, which she hated, but it wasn't. She was secure, she was surrounded on all sides and as much as she bitched, she trusted every one of those boys with her life, especially the one currently flying. 

"Try not to tense up this time, OK?" Alan was right there next to her and she knew he wouldn't let her go. 

She nodded and took a deep breath, forcing her body to relax. 

The second time was easier than the first because she knew what to expect and managed to roll over onto her front, her fingertips barely touching the floor but it was enough to propel her into the air. 

They touched down again and Alan just had time to grab a bottle of water from the locker before laying down again. 

The third time saw her covered in water as she tried to catch the droplets in her mouth. 

The fourth go round and she was chasing after M&M's that he let float out of his hand. 

Next she was required to try and eat a few bites of banana while keeping a tight rein on her flip flopping stomach. It wasn't the most pleasant of experiences, but she managed not to throw any of it back up. 

Soon she felt confident enough to let go of his hand and let him spin her slowly by the foot, and another time to tuck herself into a ball and let him roll her over. The next and she felt able to tip herself forwards and attempt a handstand. 

There was laughter, there was delighted screaming and the odd shriek as she floated too quick and hit the ceiling, but every time Scott called back to ask if they wanted to go again she yelled a loud yes. 

"Last one," Scott warned and as she floated she pulled the littlest Tracy into her arms for a huge hug. 

"Hey, don't get too cosy with my woman."

They dropped to the floor as Scott levelled out the plane and she lifted her head to see John's floating form coming from Scott's wrist comm. 

"Oh my gods, I can't believe I did it!" she screamed, blowing the spaceman a kiss. 

"Yeah, because you had the hard job," Scott mock grumbled, flipping his middle finger at her when she stuck her tongue out at him. 

The strapped back in as Scott taxied them back to the ground. As soon as she was free to move she launched herself at the eldest Tracy, practically knocking him off his feet as she hugged the breath right out of him. She smacked a kiss to his cheek and squished him again. 

"Thank you!" 

He laughed, hugging her back. "You're welcome."

"So, do you think I'm safe to let loose with your brother?" 

He pulled a face as if he were thinking about it and she smacked at his arm. "Cheek of it!" 

Alan joined in the hug fest, and she lifted an arm to let him in. 

"I feel surplus to requirements," John's voice cut in, making them all laugh again. "Think you can bring her home soon? I should be down in an hour or so."

They broke apart, thanked Scott's friend and made their way back to One.

"I'm hungry," Alan announced as they took off. 

***

She poked her head into his elevator, looking at it properly for the first time. She was wearing a suit that Brains had designed to fit her perfectly, yet she still felt uncomfortably like a sausage stuffed in an over tight skin. Brains, bless his sweet heart, had made her suit in black with purple pipework on it, much like John's. She had the same monitoring technology in it, designed to keep a constant check on her vitals and body temperature, making sure she was comfortable. She tugged at the collar of the suit, feeling constricted all of a sudden. 

"So, let me get this straight, you're expecting me to let you strap me into a small tin can that's dangling from a wire and let it haul me into space?" 

"No," he said patiently, more than used to her dramatics now. "I'm expecting you to get into my highly advanced elevator pod, that is attached by a thick cable made from the strongest metal known to mankind and designed by the brightest mind there is and trust me to take you to my office."

"Still seems dodgy to me."

"Do you trust me or not?" 

She sighed, arms folded defensively. "You know I do."

"Then get your butt in the tin can."

Selene didn't know what to expect when she entered his elevator, but it was comfortable and felt safe enough when he settled her in a seat and strapped her in. 

He took over the controls with such confidence that she couldn't help but be impressed. 

She yelped when she felt the docking locks release and the capsule begin it's ascent but managed to avoid full out screaming . Feeling the wind buffer the cable, making the little box they were in shudder was a frightening experience and she grabbed his hand for support. 

"You go higher than this on your broom," he calmly -and annoyingly- pointed out. 

"And look what happened then!" 

"You met me."

"One good thing came out of it. One!" 

He started to laugh, which just made it worse.

"Stop laughing at me!" 

Once they broke through the cloud cover and out of earth's atmosphere the ride smoothed out, wind not being a factor in space and she actually dared to open her eyes and look out of the small window. 

It was surreal to see total darkness around them with little pin pricks of starlight everywhere she looked. But that was nothing compared to when they stepped out of the airlock onto 5's gravity ring and she could look down at the earth below her feet. 

"Wow, that's…its just…"

"Yeah," he wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his chin on the top of her head. "Welcome to my world."


	10. Look to the stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Help is in the stars when you need it most.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit of a whumper. 
> 
> Possibly trigger warnings:
> 
> Parent deaths, cancer, referenced abuse and suicide, reference to female bodily functions.
> 
> Nothing too horrendous, more in the context of a conversation but its there.

"Welcome to my world." 

She shuffled them closer to the glass, her gloved hands leaving no prints as her eyes devoured the sight. It looked like something from a movie, real yet abstract. It was hard to get your head around the fact that at that exact moment in time there were billions of people living, loving, working, sleeping on that floating globe. It was surreal, eerily beautiful and oddly peaceful. 

Her brain struggled to make sense of what it was seeing, trying to think of a way to describe it. She could see large areas of the bluest oceans, the lushest greens, swirls of white misty clouds and dense area of darkness that lit up with speckled lights from millions of buildings and vehicles. 

She dropped her hands and leant back against his chest, her eyes fixed on the view of the earth far below them. This was… she ran her fingers along his arm until she reached his hand, gripping it tight, smiling when he dropped a little kiss on the top of her head. 

They say that there are moments in your life you'll never forget, good and bad, and this was definitely one of those moments. For as long as she lived she'd always be able to conjure up the vision of the world as it lay below them. As moments went it was pretty damned perfect. 

"Hello, John." 

Selene jumped out of her skin, slamming the top of her head into his chin as a high pitched, childlike voice spoke. "The fuck was that? Oh, shit, baby, I'm sorry! Are you OK?" She batted away his hand as he tried to rub the abused area and gently took hold of his chin, checking for damage, dropping a light kiss on it to make it better. 

The creepiest giggle she'd ever had the displeasure of hearing echoed around them. She grabbed at his arm, lifting it up and pointing it at nothing, swinging it around like you would a gun. "This is it, the day I die. Honestly, I thought it would involve a stampede of some sort, or possibly a spell explosion, not being murdered in space but then I've always been difficult."

"No one is murdering you, and what are you doing?" 

"Don't you have a death ray or something?" she ran her fingers around his wrist and shook his hand in a 'this thing on?' way. 

"Why would I even need a death ray?"

"I don't know! Space Pirates? Aliens? Psychotic Space Invaders?" 

She had no idea how he could be staying so calm when what was clearly a psychopath was rampaging about his ship. 

"Seriously, dude," she whispered, not wanting the psycho to hear her, "this isn't right, don't you have intruder alarms or something?" 

"I AM NOT AN INTRUDER!" the voice screeched. 

"EOS! Stop that. That is not the way we greet people. You promised you'd behave."

That was EOS? She'd heard the others mention the name from time to time, but she'd thought it was an acronym for something like the GDF. 

Something whirled above her head and a robotic arm with what looked like a security camera attached shot towards her face. 

Selene yelped again and ducked. "Bitch, you crazy!" 

John rolled his eyes, dragged the witch to her feet and tucked her behind him as he faced the camera. 

"Selene, meet EOS, EOS, meet Selene."

"She looks strange, I've been watching her."

"That's not creepy at all…"

"I have read up on human traditions and I have learnt that it is customary to wear all black to funerals as a mark of respect. But she has attended no such function. Is she going to one soon?" 

"Yeah, probably my own," Selene muttered under her breath. She still didn't trust that thing, even if John did seem to know it. "Seriously, that's EOS? I thought you were all referring to some outside organisation that you worked with or something." 

"Not quite," he turned his head to address miss-creepy-as-fuck "EOS, be polite. It's not nice to comment on people's attire or to ask personal questions like that." 

Selene peeked out over his shoulder. She could be the adult here, she could make an effort to appease the psycho. "Pleased to meet you."

He squeezed her hand in thanks." EOS?"

"It is interesting to see her in person."

"Is that a good thing?" Selene whispered in his ear. 

"She can be a little too literal," he whispered back. "She just needs to get used to you." He patted her hand reassuringly. "Come on, let me show you around."

Somehow he wasn't instilling her with the same level of confidence that he usually did. 

***

Floating wasn't an entirely new experience for her thanks to Alan and Scott but there was a huge difference between half a minute of no gravity and an hour. It took some serious getting used to, as well as careful manoeuvring to not just float around like a beached whale, flapping in a random direction.

John had shown her his monitoring station, a zero gravity, circular room that formed the center of the craft that he could immerse himself in. The entire room was filled with a glowing, 3D holographic map of Earth, moving this way and that at his command, allowing him to see and monitor any number of places at one time. It was like standing, or in most cases, floating, in the middle of the earth. He seemed to know every single place on it, every potential danger spot, every new occurrence, every past disaster zone, while she could barely navigate her way to the toilet without getting lost. 

He was half way through explaining what he did there and how to navigate it safely when an alarm started to beep. 

"Time to get to work," he smiled tightly before turning around to face the hologram and zeroing in on the alarm, the warning triangle flashing a bright red. 

Watching John work was like watching a one man ballet, he moved gracefully, his attention on everything, fully in control as he calmed the panicked caller, assured them that help was on its way then contacted Tracy Island. 

Scott answered, his deep, no nonsense voice so familiar now. John briefed him on the situation, suggesting a plan which Scott modified just a little, while waiting for Virgil and Gordon to appear. With a last FAB of confirmation they set off. 

Selene kept out of the way, watching as he worked, keeping an eye on where his brothers went, everything they did and how sensible they were while doing it. He was particularly good at assessing the risks and finding a solution to every problem that arose. He seemed to know exactly what was needed and be three steps ahead of everything, already looking up information before they requested it and having plotted routes before their crafts had even left the island. Strangely enough the weird robotic thing seemed to snap out of its mood, helping him whenever he asked for it, making suggestions and relaying information to the team. 

They all worked solidly for more than two hours, leaving her to float about, cross-legged in the lotus, near the side of the room feeling very much like a spare part. She wanted to help, but knew there was little she could do that would be in any way even the slightest bit useful. 

Finally, Scott, Virgil and Gordon reported that they were on their way back to base. An unexploded bomb had been unearthed and accidentally triggered, resulting in a near total collapse of the half built office block. Four workers had been trapped in the underground parking area, thankfully almost completed, which had afforded them enough protection to keep them safe until the boys had been able to secure the area, remove the debris and dangerous structures that remained and dig them out. Luckily the rest of the building was unoccupied and the digging had been carried out by an automated machine. There were no casualties or injuries beyond a fractured wrist, a concussion and a broken nose.

Throughout it all the boys had been amazing, working tirelessly to carefully pick their way through to the men, and John had worked just as hard, tracking electrical cables, sewage pipes, and the like that would have been disastrous to mess with. 

She'd watched his shoulders grow more and more tense, saw the way that he had tracked his brothers, worrying about every one of them the entirety of the mission. EOS had helped by seizing control of a number of vehicles and buildings that surrounded the disaster zone and initiating emergency evacuation protocols until they could scan for any more bombs. One was found and with the help of Brains they had managed to defuse it safely. 

"So, what do you do now?" she asked as John took a deep, calming breath. 

He shrugged. "I wait for the next one."

Unable to think of anything better, but not willing to just do nothing, she opened her arms in invitation. He stared at her for a second, as if debating what to do and then he caught her hand in his and tugged her towards him. 

She pulled him into her arms, lifting her legs to wrap them around his waist, and she held him as tightly as she possibly could. His arms curled around her, his head dropping to rest on her shoulder just as she had done to him the night they met, and they simply held each other, not saying a word, for the longest time. 

She turned her head, finding his lips in the softest of kisses. He smiled, a gentle curving of his lips that she felt against her own and kissed her again before lifting his head and pulling back. 

"Better?" 

He nodded. "I hadn't realised how much I needed that."

"At least I'm of some use then." She unwound her legs from around his waist and used her hand on his chest to gently push herself away but he caught her hand before she could get very far.

"What do you mean by that?" 

"Nothing, love, I just don't want to get in your way or anything, I want to at least be useful if I'm going to be here for a few days. Not that there's much I can do."

"Just keep being you, that's all I need. You think of things that I never would, you know the value of a hug when I'll normally go weeks without even seeing anyone. You stop me from ignoring the fact that I have needs. And I'm not ashamed to say that my biggest need is you."

She let him tug her back for another quick kiss before he let her go and returned to his console, checking out a couple of amber alerts that might not develop into anything but that he wanted to keep an eye on. 

***

"Will you bloody well stop that already!" Selene yelled at the world's most annoying calculator. EOS, for her part, ignored her and continued to randomly send jets of water at the back of the witch's head as she tried to tie her hair up in the small bathroom. 

"I swear to the gods I will find a way to make you part company with your processor and to lose it in the middle of the milky way!" 

A fresh stream shot at her face, making her splutter in shock. 

It had been going on for three days, the AI playing little tricks, harmless but very annoying, on the witch. All day, every day. 

From small things like locking doors so she couldn't get in or out of a room, refusing to make hot coffee or adding salt instead of sugar and changing the shower from hot water to cold, to bigger things like making the toilet flush while she was still sitting on it so that her butt got sucked in by the vacuum of the waste disposal system and John had to rescue her and another time the recording and relaying to base of her singing and dancing in the kitchen area. One thing might have been forgivable, maybe even amusing, but soon they had gone firmly into 'too far' territory and Selene was getting very pissed off. Strangely enough none of it ever seemed to happen when John was looking… 

It was clear that the being known as EOS hated her with a passion, and was lashing out in the most temper tantruming toddler way. Well, Selene wasn't going to stoop to her level. EOS loved getting a reaction, and so she was trying very hard to ignore her, though at times like these it was impossible. She hadn't told John about these little incidents, but he wasn't stupid and she was sure he knew exactly what was going on -especially since she had taken to stealing his food and drink instead of letting anything EOS prepared pass her lips -he was just letting her handle it as she saw fit. Selene didn't want him to have to step in and fight her battles for her, or to be worrying about her as much as he was everything else. Not only was she an adult that didn't expect her man to fix everything for her but he seemed to love the AI, they worked well together and she didn't want to jeopardise that. She was already seen as an interloper who was stealing all his time.

Selene had received a little on the spot training when it came to dealing with emergency calls and passing them along to the authorities that could deal with them without International Rescue having to make the trip. That way she felt like she was at least earning her keep. 

But when she wasn't pitching in, watching him work or working out in the small gym, she spent her time wandering the gravity ring, staring out over the vastness of space with a kind of silent wonder. To be this close to the heavens, to see the universe spread out around them, was a humbling experience and she never grew bored of it. She now realised exactly why John loved it up there and got so caught up that he never thought to come back down. 

She could feel the effect the moon's energy was having on her and made sure that she was grounding morning and night, dragging him into the routine with her even when he said he was too busy. Together they had muddled along and made a good team. She just wished that EOS would leave her alone and start behaving. 

***

When she woke up alone, sitting up in her little bunk across from John's to find him gone, she immediately began to worry. It had become a common occurrence for an alarm to suddenly blare out at all hours, waking them up. John would shoot straight out of bed and be in the comms room before she even had a chance to register what was going on, but this time was different. Had something happened to him again, or to one of the boys?

She didn't even stop to drag on a dressing gown over the shorts and vest top she wore in bed, she just wanted to know he was OK. 

She didn't find him in the comms sphere as she had expected, but in the gravity ring. He was sitting slumped on the floor, talking quietly every now and then to whomever was on the other end of his call. The tense line of his shoulders told her that he wasn't enjoying the conversation. 

She walked over, not bothering to quieten her steps, not wanting to make him jump, and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned to look at her, his hand coming up to cover hers. She raised an eyebrow in question 'everything OK? Do you need help?'. His face was pinched with strain and worry, painful shadows in his beautiful eyes. She wanted nothing more than to hold him. Possibly forever. 

He swept aside the holographic projection coming from the wall beside him and opened his legs in invitation, patting the floor. She settled on the floor in front of him,leaning back against his chest. He took out the earpiece he wore and pushed a button to allow her to hear the call. 

The sound of soft, childish sobbing filled the room, the heartbreaking sound something she had never wished to hear and knew she would never forget. 

"I miss her."

"I know," her spaceman replied to the little girl who had called International Rescue because she felt like she had no one else who would listen. 

Selene's heart was breaking for the little girl, who was pouring her heart out to a stranger who was miles and miles away in space. What was she going through to feel like that was her only option?

"They tease me about it, and her, and I can't talk to Dad about it and…and… I think I've got it too. Am I dying too?" 

Selene frowned, catching his eye, wanting an explanation. He shrugged, not having a clue what she was talking about. "I don't know what to say," he mouthed, his expression one of deep regret and sorrow. She pointed to her chest, offering to take over. He nodded gratefully and quickly typed up a message on the screen. 

John had never been so grateful to see her in his life, and that included when he had woken up from a semi coma. He'd been notified of the call by EOS whom he'd left monitoring all frequencies while they slept. There had been no alarm, no alert, nothing that he had to send his brothers out to, just a sad, scared little girl who had felt like no one was listening to her. He'd done his best, but he'd been way out of his depth and was glad to let her take over. 

"Hi sweetheart, my name's Selene, what's yours?" 

The girl sniffled and gulped as she tried to control her crying. "Abbie, Abbie Jones."

Selene glanced at his note. Mother passed five months ago, cancer, something happened today but I don't know what yet. She nodded, and got to work. 

"Hi, Abbie, it's nice to meet you. I know you've been speaking to John here, but, let's be honest, he's a boy and they are pretty useless, so how about you tell me what's been going on, huh?" 

That startled a giggle out of the girl, who hiccuped but didn't start crying again."He was nice, I like him, but I would like to talk to a girl."

"Yeah, I like him too, but we can have a chat, huh? We got this, so talk to me." 

The girl was silent for a few moments but when she started to talk the words poured out of her like a stream of consciousness, mixed up, backtracking and sometimes hard to follow. But they got the most important parts. She told them all about her mother, how she had died from incurable cancer and how her father wasn't coping. She told them about the funeral, how everyone had hugged her and told her she was brave but hadn't actually answered her questions or included her in any of the conversations. She had slipped out and hid away to shed her tears and no one had noticed. She told them that she cried every day, but that she didn't let anyone see, because now her Mom was gone she didn't have anyone she trusted. The comfort she had once found in her mother's arms was gone forever and she didn't know how to function without it. 

"Daddy is trying, but he doesn't know what I like, not like Mom did. Mom used to take me places and we always talked with dinner, she said it was important to know what was going on in each others lives. I could tell her anything and she never said I was being silly."

"Your Mum sounds like a very wise lady, she's right, it's very important to take an interest in the lives of those you love." John noticed how she didn't talk about the girls mom in the past tense, but like she was still there, still a part of her life.

"It feels like he doesn't care about me at all. He only cares about himself. People are always asking him how he's doing and saying that he's such a good Dad. But I never see him, he doesn't want me!"

Selene sighed softly, wishing she could go and smack her Dad upside his head and tell him to pay attention to his daughter. 

"Hun, I can guarantee that your Daddy loves you very much, he's just not good at showing it. Some people, they just don't know how to act when something out of their control happens, something that hurts them so much. Grief is a funny thing, it can make us act in ways that we wouldn't normally."

Abbie sniffed again."That's what my Grams said. Grams was looking after me when Mom was sick, but it seems like, now that she's gone, people think I don't need looking after any more. But I do!" The last word came out as a wail of sound as she girl disintegrated into tears again. "Dad said that I was a big girl and would have to look after myself sometimes. He stopped travelling but he still goes to work before I get up and isn't home until late. I've tried to be brave and I've tried to look after myself but I can't do it."

"We all need looking after sometimes, sweetheart. Even us adults, even those of us who seem to have everything worked out, we still need help and to ask for it when you need it isn't weak, it's brave. Very very brave. Why do you think we're here? Because sometimes people need help and they need to know there is someone there to give it."

"Everyone? Even you?" 

"Most definitely me. I'll tell you a secret, but you can't tell anyone else. Promise?" 

Abbie sniffed loudly, her nose stuffy from her tears, but at least she seemed to have stopped crying again. "I promise."

Selene snuggled closer to John, tugging his arm around her waist even though she knew the girl couldn't see them. 

"I first met John because I called for help, just like you have. I was on my way home from a party and ended up in a bit of an accident, I got thrown into a tree and he had to come and rescue me."

John grinned at the memory. "She was upside down, hanging from her underwear and couldn't get down."

It was that moment they heard the first, genuine laugh from the girl. "By your underwear?" 

"Oh yeah, totally stuck, quite far off the ground and in real trouble. John…well he did laugh a little bit, which I can't blame him for, but he came straight out to help me. I was embarrassed, I felt like I was stupid for not being able to help myself, and I tried really hard to get myself out of the situation, but in the end, the real test of your strength is knowing when to be smart and ask for the help you need."

The girl was so quiet that Selene actually glanced at John to make sure the connection was still live. He nodded, so they waited. Finally, she spoke again. 

"I need help. Can you help me?" 

She smiled as John squeezed her hand. "We certainly can. Now, as my Nan used to say, let's start at the very beginning, because we need to know everything so we, all three of us, can work out how to fix things."

"Mum didn't feel well, she felt tired, and her belly hurt a lot. I heard her talking to Grams and she said she was bleeding…" the girls voice dropped really low, "down there. The doctor said it was cancer. No one told me what was happening, no one told me anything until it was too late. She was sick for three years before she died."

Selene closed her eyes briefly, unable to stand the thought of this sweet little kid hearing all that, but unfortunately it was a fact of life.

"Cancer is an evil thing, baby girl, the most evil in the world and unfortunately it's one thing that we can't take on and protect people from. I lost my Nan to it, it's been a long time but I still miss her so much. It's hard when those we love and rely on aren't there for us anymore and when they aren't a part of our lives. The hurt doesn't ever go away, we never stop missing them, but I promise you, it does get easier to think of them and smile. So, tell us something nice about your Mum, something that makes you smile."

Selene saw the robotic eye of EOS move closer as if watching them but for once the AI didn't say a word. 

"Mom used to do a very funny voice when she was telling me what she had cooked for us. She would make believe she was a chef and our kitchen was a restaurant and she'd make up funny names for our food and present it like a waitress. I miss that."

"That does sound fun. My Nan used to pretend the wash cloth was eating my toes when I was little and she was bathing me. She would make chomping noises. Nom, Nom Nom, tasty toes!" 

Abbie giggled again, sounding a little happier. 

"My Mom used to sing a song to me, from a very old TV show that she liked, it was about a man who wished he was a spaceman and could fly around the universe in his rocket ship. She knew I was fascinated by the night sky and the stars, she said I was her little spaceman." 

Selene heard the words catch in his throat and twisted slightly to slide her arm around his back, knowing it must be hard for him to not only talk about his mother, but to listen to Abbie deal with losing her's. 

"Is your mom dead too?" the question was spoken so softly they barely heard her. 

"Yes, for a long time now. I was pretty young when we lost her, so I don't have the same memories of her that my older brothers do, but I remember that about her very clearly."

Selene wanted to weep for him, for all of them, those brave boys that she had grown so close to, who had welcomed her into their family, having lost their mother so young but who had gone on to become such amazing men. 

"Did you ever get picked on for not having a mom? The kids at school said that God was punishing her for being bad and that's why she got sick. I've told them to stop but they won't."

Selene bit her lip hard to stop the colourful words that wanted to fly out of her mouth. 

"Yes, we were all picked on by other kids at one time or another, but I think I suffered the worst because I was too quiet to fight back, too nervous of other kids." The pain in her spaceman's voice made her want to hunt down each and every one of the people that had ever hurt him and make them pay, but she contented herself with placing the smallest kiss on his neck, just to let him know that she loved him. 

"Everybody that is a little bit different from everyone else, everyone that is extra special, gets picked on by people that don't understand them or that being different isn't a bad thing," Selene spoke to Abbie but was looking at John, letting him know in no uncertain terms that he was perfect just as he was."I was bullied because I was different too."

"What did you do about it?" 

"Now that's a question," Selene laughed. "I didn't do the right thing, baby girl, in fact I did everything wrong. I tried to change myself to fit in with what they were like, but then they teased me for that, I tried fighting back, but that didn't work either, and I tried ignoring it, which just made them try harder to hurt me. In the end I had to decide that I wouldn't let them hurt me. They were picking on my insecurities and the fact that I didn't feel like I fitted in, but the truth was, I liked me, I didn't want to fit in if that was the kind of nasty person I had to be. I had to learn to love myself just how I was and be proud to be myself. I forgot that lesson recently, but I wasn't alone and that helped." She gave John a secret little smile, reminded of the night of Penelope's ball. Her smile turned into a full on grin when her adorable man caught on to her meaning and ducked his head, a faint blush colouring his cheeks. 

"John? What did you do?" Abbie's tone had changed to one of curiosity, like she was starting to see things a little differently now. For the first time Selene lent over to check out the girls location and the time, 3:47am. 

Selene wanted to laugh when John, obviously still reminiscing about just how he'd helped her, was caught unawares by her question. 

"Erm…I…"

"I'm sure John didn't let the bullies win either," she prompted with a gentle nudge. The relief on his face when he realised what Abbie had actually meant was comical. 

"I ignored them, mostly because I was told never to fight back, and because I didn't have the confidence to say anything clever or belittling to them as they were to me."

"So how did it get fixed?" 

"I told my big brother, who told our Dad. Much like yours he was working away a lot and hadn't noticed that anything was wrong."

"I don't know how to tell my Dad," her voice was quiet again, troubled. It seemed that any time she started to feel better she talked herself back down. "Whenever I try to talk to him, he's always too tired or too busy and tells me to talk to him later, but later is always wrong too. How do I get him to listen?" 

"You let us worry about that, alright?" Selene reassured her. 

"OK." She went quiet again for a moment, and over the comms they could hear a faint rustling sound as if she were shifting on the spot. Selene didn't want to bring up anything that might cause more upset, but something was nagging at the back of her mind pushing her to ask. 

"Abbie, hunnie, when I first spoke to you, you said that you were worried that you had it too, that you might be poorly. Why do you think that?" 

Still she was silent, though Selene thought she might have an idea about what was going on, something the girl had said earlier was trying to catch her attention. She was a bit young, but it wasn't unheard of and if the poor girl had been pushed aside and neglected a bit for the last few years, which was understandable given the circumstances, it was highly likely she didn't actually have a clue what was happening to her. As with most families it would probably have been down to the mother to talk to the daughter about such things and her father wouldn't have even thought about it. 

"Sweetheart, how old are you?" 

"I'm twelve next month." Selene raised an eyebrow, the girl sounded younger than that, though it made her theory more likely. 

"OK, now, I promise you that we won't tell anyone anything if you don't want us to, and I can make John go away for a few minutes if you want to talk to me alone, but I promise you, you have done nothing wrong and you have no reason to be embarrassed by anything you tell us. OK?"

"OK." 

John was watching her, a look of confusion on his face, not understanding what the hell was going on. She patted his hand and pressed her finger to her lips. 

"Abbie, you told us that your Mom had pains in her belly and that she had been bleeding?" 

They could hear a few sniffles again, but Selene knew she had to push this, just a little. 

"Sweetie, have you been having the same?" 

John's eyes grew wide as her meaning suddenly clicked in his head. 

"Yes," her voice was so quiet they barely heard her. "It started two days ago. Am I bad too? The kids at school said that Mommy was bad and that's why she died but I don't feel like I'm bad, I don't think Mommy was bad but I'm still sick."

Selene wanted to cry, wishing she was there to hug the girl and show her everything would be OK. That seemed like the hardest part of the job to her, especially for John, the fact that he talked to people who were terrified, hurt or in danger. He wanted to be there to help them, but he couldn't be. 

"Darling, you are not bad or evil, you're just a girl. And believe me, being a girl sucks sometimes. All you've done is grown up a little bit like every girl does."

She rubbed her face, needing a moment to figure out how much to say and how to do it. 

"Abbie, I'm not going to treat you like a child, because you are so much more than that, and I'm sure that you're pretty fed up with people not telling you the whole truth or thinking that you don't need to know what is going on, is that right?" 

"Yeah. I kept asking what was happening to Mom but they kept telling me I was too young to understand, but I wasn't. She was my Mom and I wanted to know why she was sick. She was always in the hospital and talking to doctors but no one ever talked to me, and then the medicine didn't work, it made her worse. She stopped looking like my Mom and then she just wasn't there any more. And I miss her, I miss my Mom."

"I know you do, sweetie. And I wish, more than anything, that I could bring her back for you, but it doesn't work that way. But I can tell you now that you aren't sick or broken." She absently played with his fingers as she talked, his arm still around her waist, needing to feel something solid and real. 

"I'm not?"

"Not at all, but Abbie, have you heard that girls have something called a period?" 

"Yeah, we were told about that in class,We were told that the girl has an egg and the boy has the seeds called sperm, and that when the eggs get old they need to come out, but they never told us how it worked."

"Right, OK, that's good, that's exactly what happens. Well, the boy's body makes the seeds and the girls body makes the egg and when the boys seed doesn't mix with the egg and the egg gets too old to stay, the girls body sorta takes out the trash. And that's what is happening to you. It's just that your body is making eggs and they are getting old. It's natural, and although it can be very scary and uncomfortable and you'll feel grumpy sometimes, it means that you are normal and healthy."

"Eww."

John had been looking slightly uncomfortable with the direction the conversation had taken, but he had gamely stuck it out with her, ever the professional. Now he was trying hard not to laugh, smothering his smile against her shoulder. 

"Yes," she laughed. "Eww is right. Eww is totally, one hundred percent right. But it's nothing to be embarrassed about or ashamed of, and it's not bad or dirty, there are things you can use to help keep you fresh and clean."

"It's gross and it hurts."

"Yep, but there are things you can do to help with it. Do you have a favourite teacher at school?" 

"Mrs Thomas, she's really nice." 

"OK, sweetie, I'm going to talk to your Dad soon, and Mrs Thomas, and she's going to help you, OK? She's going to get you all the things you'll need."

"You promise it's normal? I'm not sick? I don't need to go to a doctor like Mom did?" 

"I promise you, I'm a girl, and I have the same thing. I get grumpy, everyone and everything annoys me, my belly hurts and I want to eat all the junk food in the world. John's brother stole my chocolate last time and I almost made him cry by yelling at him."

Finally, blessedly, Abbie laughed. 

"Feeling better now?" 

"Yes, thank you for talking with me."

"You're very welcome, and remember what I said, we're going to fix this, OK? And you won't be alone anymore, if you want to talk to us again, then you can, we're always here and we're always listening."

"OK" 

"Good girl, now I need you to go and wake your Daddy and give him your phone and then back to bed for you, it's very late. Goodnight, Miss Abbie Jones."

"Goodnight."

They heard rustling on the line and the sound of a door opening, the sound of a sleepy man asking what was wrong and then he was there. John was the one to speak first.

"Mr Jones? We're with International Rescue and we need to talk to you about your daughter."

***

Mr Jones had been a little sceptical at first, then defensive, but once he was assured that they were not accusing him of neglecting his daughter and actually listened to what they had to say, things calmed down. 

As Selene had suspected he was one of those Dad's that just never thought of his little girl as growing up, he still saw her as a child. He had sunk so deep into his own grief that he'd failed to realise that she was struggling herself. 

Selene had explained why Abbie had called them, how she had been feeling and why she felt like she couldn't talk to him. There had been a few difficult minutes when Mr Jones had broken down, believing that he'd failed his daughter. He missed his wife and hadn't realised just how much she had been doing for them, even when she had been sick, and how much he had to think about now she wasn't there. It had been a wake up call for him, a kick up the arse to man up and realise that he couldn't keep ignoring the reality of their situation. He'd thrown himself into work because it was the only way he could cope, to not think about the pain of their loss. 

John had listened in awe as his witch took control of the situation in a way he wasn't sure he'd have been able to, showing understanding but also being firm enough that she wouldn't let the father keep making excuses. 

After they had finished the call Selene had taken it upon herself to track down the girls teacher, just as she had promised, and sent her a long message explaining the situation. They both hoped that Mrs Thomas would provide Abbie with all the help, information and necessary supplies that she needed as well as deal with the bullies that were making her life a misery. They would be checking in to make sure, just in case. 

"Thank you for that," he murmured an hour later when they were both squished onto his tiny bunk, her laying on top of him, which was the only way they could fit. They had both needed the contact, the comfort of being close after such an emotional night. 

"There's nothing to thank me for that little one needed help."

"I'm still glad you were here."

She lifted her head from his chest to look at him. "Does that sort of thing happen a lot?" 

He was silent for a moment before he answered. "More often than I'd like."

She laid back down, not knowing what to say, but her arms tightened around him in quiet support. A few moments later she felt his fingers slide into her hair, playing with the strands. 

"A lot of people in the world are lonely, or feel like they have no one to turn to for help. I've talked more people out of hurting themselves than I care to remember, and a few that I've not been able to get through to. One I followed on satellite imaging and saw the train coming."

Selene closed her eyes, horrified that her love had dealt with so much. 

"Kids are always the worst, there are some truly depraved people out there, doing some horrendous things that we can't always stop. That's the hardest part of the job, the fact that you can't save everyone and that eventually you'll have to accept the fact that sometimes you fail."

"Tonight wasn't a fail, baby, you did good."

"But you were the one that actually understood her. If you hadn't been here I doubt I'd have ever picked up with the problem really was. I didn't help her, you did."

Selene sat up, moving to straddle his waist so she could hit him with the full weight of her glare. "Stop, OK? No, just no. You might not have picked up on that one thing, but you would have been there for her, you would have listened. And you would have still taken charge, spoken to her Dad and got him to open his fucking eyes and see that his daughter needed him. He'd have seen that his daughter was so desperate that she would call total strangers just to get some help, just to feel like someone was listening to her. You would have dealt with that and you would have made things better because that's what you do."

He was avoiding her eyes, but his hands had settled on her hips, holding her close. 

"Sometimes I just feel so useless, I'm not the one that rushes in to save them, I'm not the one that can actively help them, I'm not the one out there saving lives."

Gods she could smack him sometimes. She cupped his chin in her hand and turned his head so he would look at her. 

"You are far from useless, you have the hardest job in the world, because you are the one that can't get involved, you have to take charge and make sure no one else fucks up worse. You are the strongest person I know and the most important. You are the thing that gives people hope, because sometimes all you need to know is that there is someone out there that is always listening, always there when you call out for help. That knowledge is the most comforting thing in the world."

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back down to his chest. "You're biased," he argued, but she could hear the smile in his voice. 

"Well, yeah maybe, I mean, you have your uses. I think I might keep you for a bit longer." Four months ago and she wouldn't have dared joke with him like that, but now he was secure in the knowledge that she wasn't going anywhere, evident by the fact that his hand snuck down to lightly smack her backside in punishment. 

"At least I have uses, I suppose I should be grateful about that."

"Just a few things you're good at that can be seen as useful."

"I can assure you I have more than 'just a few' uses." 

She grinned evilly. "Do you? I might need reminding…maybe even a demonstration."

"You should be thrown off this craft for doubting me," he mock grumbled, his lips finding hers moments later. 

***

Selene took a small, a teeny tiny, experimental sip of the coffee that had poured out of the machine into John's mug which she had sneakily placed there in the vague hope of a decent brew. Huh, it was actually good, in fact it was made to her specifications rather than his. He was a black no sugar coffee drinker, whereas she doctored it with milk and two sugars. 

She jumped when the bagel toaster pinged, dropping into a defensive crouch in preparation for the crunchy projectile that was probably already aimed at her head. 

The bagel stayed innocently in its slot. Cursing her own curiosity but unable to resist the temptation she plucked it out and sniffed it. 

"It is toasted as you like it, with strawberry jelly inside."

"Pardon me if I don't believe you after last time when the jam mysteriously turned out to be tomato ketchup."

The electronic arm whirled as the AI moved closer, its camera eye blinking coloured lights. "I apologise." 

Selene couldn't have been more stunned if Gordon had suddenly popped up out of nowhere and slapped her around the face with a wet fish. 

"OK…" 

"I would like to call a truce."

She sat down at the small bench that lined one wall of the kitchen, finally daring to take a bite of the rapidly cooling breakfast. Surprisingly it was just as described. 

"You been studying military tactics again, EOS?" 

"No." 

Selene rolled her eyes, the AI could never understand sarcasm. 

"Then why this sudden acceptance and the desire to not poison me?" She sipped her coffee and waited. 

"Because you make him happy. Last night you helped him when I couldn't."

"That's what I'm here for, and that's all I've ever wanted."

Selene sighed deeply, watching the lights as they flickered around EOS's lens. John had told her how the AI had come into being, their rocky start and then how he'd come to rely on her. She was important to him. 

Acting on instinct she got up and crossed over until she was nose to lens with EOS's camera. "I'm not trying to replace you or push you out of his life."

"I see this now."

"It's our job to look after him and it would be much easier and nicer if we did it as a team, don't you think? It can't be nice for him to see us fighting like this."

"That was mostly me, but yes, I agree."

"Not helping your case here, girly," she said sternly, but with a smile that showed she didn't really mean it. "But I accept the truce." Before she could debate the wisdom of her decision she smacked a kiss to the lens. "Now go away and let me drink my coffee in peace before he gets done with his shower and the madness starts."

John braced himself for the usual morning chaos that was the result of his AI's protest at the witch being in residence. To his surprise the kitchen was orderly and the witch was quietly reading something on her tablet while sipping from his mug of coffee. 

A familiar ping announced the arrival of his breakfast and he reached for it automatically. 

"Morning, EOS."

"Good morning, John."

He blinked, then leant in a little closer. 

"Why are you wearing lipstick?"


	11. Some days are tougher than others.

The alarm sounded somewhere in the monitoring station of TB5, making them both jump. John groaned, his forehead thumping down to bounce off her shoulder in utter despair. 

"Damn it." 

"Now? Seriously? Now?" Selene wailed. Honestly, she could cry. Her body was wound tighter than a spring and was not happy about the fact that he'd stopped moving. "The gods are cruel to us." She unwound her legs from around his waist and sighed. 

"Sorry," he dropped a quick kiss on her lips, hoisted his sweaty self out of her arms and ran for the door, snatching up his discarded uniform from the floor on the way. He had to stop and drag it on, swearing under his breath as the tight material started a fight with his damp skin and he almost cut off the circulation to his protesting penis, which did not appreciate being forced down into a too tight space while still in happy mode. 

He jogged into the monitoring station, the Zero-G lifting him off his feet as the airlock closed behind him. Locating the source of the noise he hit the button to connect him to Tracy Island. 

***

"EOS got a little trigger happy with sounding the alarm, but the quake size was just enough to be a cause for concern. I'm monitoring it just to be sure."

Scott stared at his brother's hologram and tried very, very hard to keep a straight face. Virgil didn't quite have Scott's control and was smirking, Alan and Gordon were sniggering behind their hands. 

John cleared his throat, trying to catch their attention but sometimes talking to his brothers was like trying to herd cats. 

"I said I'm monitoring the situation and will let you know if anything develops that's a cause for…" he trailed off to glare at them. 

Their brother's stern and slightly exasperated expression just made the whole thing so much funnier when you cast your eyes upwards to catch sight of his usually neatly brushed and styled hair sticking up in about six different directions. Couple that with the slight sheen to his forehead, the fact that his suit wasn't quite zipped up and that he was obviously still trying to catch his breath… 

"Brains said he might see if Selene is around to go over those modifications to her car, shall I tell him to give her a call?" Kayo's casual tone wasn't fooling anyone. 

"I cannot get used to you not having a bathtub up here, honestly, I thought this thing was supposed to have everything you needed." Selene's voice floated towards them as the airlock opened to admit her. She had pulled on one of his old Nasa shirts and a pair of yoga pants but it was obvious that she had dressed in a hurry. She caught sight of the holographic projection from base, with five pairs of eyes staring at her. "I heard my name. What did I do wrong now?" 

"Oh look, she's not home," Virgil grinned. 

"You're observant today, muscles," she shot back in retaliation, making a grab at John's arm for stability, she still hadn't quite got the hang of floating around the sphere. "So, was there actually an emergency, or are you all just shooting the shit?"

"Can't it be both?" 

John shot Gordon a warning look but his appearance didn't help his cause and his brother started openly sniggering again. 

"OK, what is wrong with you all and why don't I trust you?" Selene looked from the brothers to her spaceman, then did a double take. She bit her lip, trying so hard not to laugh, having a sudden mental flashback to her fingers buried in his hair as he kissed his way down her body. 

"Erm…babe, you might wanna…" she yanked him bodily out of view and did her best to finger comb his hair into some semblance of order, smoothing it down. She wiped her lipstick off the corner of his mouth and finished zipping his suit before she shoved him back in front of them. 

"So professional," Alan quipped. 

"Watch it, Rocket Boy, remember who sees everything you guys look up on your comms, it would be a shame if that information escaped."

Alan was a wise boy when he needed to be, and this time was no exception, he zipped his lips and sat back on the couch, knowing full well that his brother was capable of making good on that threat. 

"What I choose to do in my free time-" John started, trying to defuse the situation now Alan was subdued. 

"And who," Gordon interrupted, instantly shrivelling under a particularly fierce Selene glare, patent pending. 

"-is of no concern as long as I do my job. Which I'm trying to do now, so if you would all pipe down and listen I can brief you and get on with it." His cheeks had flooded with heat, embarrassed at being caught out in such a way, but was determined not to let them get to him. He knew, logically, that they meant no harm, they were just teasing him, and honestly he would have probably joined in if it had been any of his brothers looking the way he had. He was just uncomfortable being the center of attention, he was the one that prided himself on his professionalism and unflappable nature. He risked a glance at Selene, not wanting her to be upset by the teasing but as usual she was fine and acting as if nothing had happened. Not much seemed to rattle her and she rarely got embarrassed by anything. 

Kayo arched an eyebrow, triggering another sniggering fit but Selene brazened it out, wiggling hers in return then winking at her fellow female conspirator. John tried so hard to hold it in,but the tiniest of smiles broke through his control. 

"Ha! You smiled, we're off the hook!" Alan crowed and like that all semblance of control shattered. 

John dropped his head into his hands. "I'm never living this down, am I?" 

"Don't think so," Selene commiserated, patting him on the back of the head. 

"You're supposed to be on my side!" 

She snorted. "Dude, you're on your own with this one, this happened because your AI decided to blast the alarm for something the size of a dolphin fart."

Gordon choked on a laugh, he always loved her colourful word choices. 

"Are you not even the slightest bit embarrassed?" John ignored her reference to their interrupted activities. 

She shrugged. "I'm pagan, I was naked in a field up until about an hour before we met. Why be embarrassed about your body and the fun you have with it?"

His jaw dropped, as did several others. 

"Selene?"

"Yeah?" She turned back to face the boys.

"You got any friends?" Scott grinned. 

"Oh, I totally do. But could you all handle another crazy witch around the place?" 

Silence. Crickets chirping…oh look, where did that tumbleweed come from? 

"Diiiiidn't think so."

"About this alarm?" Virgil tried valiantly to get them back on track. 

John shot his brother a grateful look and began pulling data from the air around him, his globe lighting up where he touched it, smaller displays popping up here and there. 

"EOS noticed the start of a small seismic tremor in the middle of the Indian Ocean. It's pretty small right now and I'm hoping it'll just fade out without causing any damage as it touches land, but you should all make sure you're stocked up and ready to move should you need to."

"So it's just a wait and see situation?" 

John nodded. "Yeah, that's about all we can do for now, just monitor and advise the local authorities and hope we aren't needed."

***

Their hope was short lived. Less than an hour after they managed a hasty shower and clothing fix another alarm sounded and this time it was needed. 

The small tremor had grown steadier by the minute, morphing into a full scale sea quake. 

"Base from Thunderbird 5."

"Hey bro, how's it looking now?" Gordon was the only one in the room when John's hologram popped up but the others started jogging in from all directions, alerted by their comms. 

"Not great. My scanners are picking up increased frequency and strength from the epicenter of the original quake. I alerted the local authorities, the coast guard and the hospitals, just in case anything gets worse. The quake isn't close enough to land to be of real concern and they sent out a recall to all undersea vessels in the area as a precaution. Unfortunately one isn't responding, they don't know if they are out of range, if their radio isn't working or if they are just ignoring them. "

"Have you tried contacting them yourself?" Scott wanted to know. 

"We have, but they aren't responding. The marine traffic control board have checked and triple checked their logs and they are about 85% sure that they are still out there as they haven't checked in at any of the ports. I've tried scanning the area, but when it comes to the seabed it's a lot harder than on the ground, with so many wrecks out there and large marine life, everything registers on our scanners, so I've no real hope of zeroing in unless we have a more specific location to work from."

"So, we might potentially have people out there somewhere, possibly too close to the epicenter and no way of knowing if they are there or not? When was the last time they checked in?" 

"Three days ago. They requested permission to travel further but were denied due to the age and state of repair their vessel was in. They had been granted license for marine salvage from sunken ships and the sea bed, treasure hunters of sorts, but no further than 65 miles out from the coast with this port authority. They reached their limit and continued, ignoring the request to stop and turn back. They cut all contact. They were tracked via satellite for another six miles but then they vanished."

"What craft is it, John?" If anyone knew about undersea equipment it was Gordon. 

"It's a reconditioned X039 Oceanic Explorer, but one of the earlier models, decommissioned from WASP more than three decades ago. They apparently did their own modifications." 

Gordon groaned. "That's not going to be pretty, or safe if they have travelled too far out of their safety zone, those subs were decommissioned for a reason, they had issues will hull breeches after a number of years underwater." 

"So I heard, which was why we were alerted."

"I guess we're going fishing." Virgil was already moving towards the concealed entrance to his 'birds hanger. 

"Right behind you, bro!" Gordon took off at a run, knowing he would be needed. 

"I'm coming too!" Alan yelled, following the aquanaut. 

"I'll go on ahead and start scanning the area, maybe we can find some trace of them with my onboard equipment that you and the coastguard can't." Scott was moving before he had finished speaking. He always found it impossible to relax if his brothers were out somewhere with the potential to be dangerous and he wasn't. Scott was not the sit around at home type, he was a doer and if he wasn't busy he'd be tearing his hair out. 

"Do you have a job for me?" Kayo spoke for the first time, having slunk in as silently as a cat. 

"Unfortunately not at the moment, but be on standby just in case." 

She didn't look happy about it, but nodded, knowing that it wasn't personal. "I'll go check in on Brains, he was doing a tune up on Thunderbird S last time I saw him." As usual she didn't bother herself with the social niceties of saying goodbye. 

John cut the feed and turned to Selene who was floating quietly by the airlock, holding into the edge with one hand to keep from drifting around and getting in his way. 

"I'm going to keep scanning, hopefully I can narrow it down and find them before Scott gets there so he can secure the area."

"Anything I can do to help?" 

"If you could just drag up their page," he pointed to a file that he pinged over to a screen nearby, "and look back through all of their social media posts pertaining to their previous discoveries and areas, we might get a clue as to where they have been and are likely to go next. They seem to be a little maverick when it comes to the law, and they don't mind shouting about it."

She let go of the door frame and bounced her way carefully over to him. How did he make that shit look so easy? He just floated like a mermaid through water, never overshooting the mark and crashing into the ceiling like she did. He never seemed to feel sick when he was in the comms room for too long or feel the need to do a couple of laps of the gravity ring every few hours to feel normal.

He caught her hand with an amused look on his face. 

"Don't say it," she grumbled, "I'm really not a natural at this."

"You're just too tense, you need to relax and just go with the flow, if your whole body is stiff then you're going to find it hard."

"Easy for you to say, there's no way I can relax up here."

His eyes flickered to the comms and then back to her, as he pulled her closer. He stole a quick kiss, the briefest of touches, just enough to make her breath catch in her throat. 

"I think I can help with that."

"Oh really?" 

"Really. I just have to take your mind off it, keep you busy, help your body learn to relax in space."

She raised a playful eyebrow. "Mr Tracy, are you flirting with me during a situation?" 

"Maybe."

"Cool," she kissed him back, just as quick, then settled back into a half recline to start scrolling. "One social spy session, coming up."

***

"From what I can tell they don't have any set pattern, no logic to the areas they choose to investigate next. It seems they simply follow tip offs from locals and from those who have followed certain ships or know their history. If a story or possible cargo sparks their interest they go after it. They've made a few good discoveries over the years."

"So we've no clue where they might be? 

"Not really, but it seems that they were interested in looking for at least part of a suspected wreck from more than 2,000 years ago."

"Seriously? They thought there might be something left to pick clean after all that time?" 

She nodded. "Roman ships heading to Asia for trade purposes. A historian has been posting links to their page, something about a political marriage of sorts between the sister of an Egyptian Pharaoh and a Roman General, apparently they never learned their lesson after Cleopatra. She was travelling in secret aboard a trade ship, taking with her a large dowry of sorts in the form of jewellery and other valuables. She was going to be transferred to another boat from there. They were struck by a storm and never completed the trip. Apparently the story was one of those that got lost and forgotten about over time, but now they are being urged to find it. If they did it could be an extraordinary find and very valuable."

"Any clue as to where they went down?" 

She held out a hand and he grabbed hold, tugging her over to his side with minimal eye rolling. She ignored that and showed him the screen. 

"Out of a fleet of 8 ships only 3 managed to limp to the nearest port. They were around 160 miles from shore at their best guess, but that's not an accurate distance considering the time period and technology they had then."

He squinted at the post and then pulled up his own map."So if the port the surviving ships were rumored to have made it to was about here," he touched a finger to one point on the map, "and they said they were struck around 160 miles out," he touched another couple of possible points, then with a wave of his hand, overlayed his most recent readouts, "that could put the potential wreck site very close to the epicenter."

"So, if they figured that out and were indeed stupid enough to keep going, they could be anywhere in this area," she waved a hand at the map, "and could have been dangerously close to that quake."

"Unfortunately it looks that way." He touched a small logo on one of his holograms that depicted a miniature Thunderbird 1. "Thunderbird 5 to Thunderbird 1. We think we've located a possible area for the lost sub, you're about two minutes out. Sending you the coordinates now."

"FAB Thunderbird 5, thanks for narrowing it down. I'm coming up on the area now and all I can see is water. Lots and lots of water."

"Makes sense, in deep ocean a quake barely registers on the surface, it only picks up as it reaches the shallow waters near the coast."

They saw Scott's hologram nod. "I'm starting the first scan sweep now." 

They waited, watching the readouts from 1's scanner. "Nothing yet, John."

"Keep scanning, but this time look for life signs, I'll remotely configure it to narrow down to a human heart beat pattern now you're in range."

"FAB."

It took John less than thirty seconds to input the new data, narrow the parameters and take control of One's scanning software.

"Try it now, Thunderbird 1."

Scott frowned in concentration, his eyes darting this way and that as he performed the sweep. They heard a sharp ping and an image popped up on John's monitor. 

"Got it! Good work, Thunderbird 1. I've targeted your scanner and it's sent me a composite image of its findings. Sending to you and Thunderbird 2 now."

"Got it," Virgil chimed in, having been listening. 

"That looks like the sub alright," Gordon added. "It's definitely undergone some mods but the skeleton is the same. How many life signs on board?" 

"Scanner is picking up two," John supplied. 

"Should be a simple pick up then, Gordon should be able to collect them in Four, maybe we can bring the sub back but they are the priority."

"What's your ETA, Thunderbird 2?"

"About 6.5 minutes Thunderbird 1."

"FAB." Scot replied. 

***

"Sending Gordon down to prepare the pod, Thunderbird 4 on standby to go."

They all watched the screens intently as Virgil expertly piloted the giant craft alongside his brothers. 

"FA-STOP VIRGIL!" John barked out a warning as his eyes were drawn to the map on his left, the warning triangle blinking into existence. "There's another quake coming, do not drop that pod!" 

"But they need help!" Gordon's voice was firm. 

"We're not risking you, Thunderbird 4, just wait it out, they've survived enough already to be able to handle another."

They all held their breath, counting down the seconds it took the quake to rumble itself out of existence. 

"It's over. Not as big as the others. You're clear to go, Thunderbird 4, but make it snappy, I don't like the look of this area at all." John's forehead was creased into a perm-frown, his shoulders tense with worry for his brother and the people on the sub. 

"Module deployed."

"Thunderbird 4 is go." They watched the little blinking hologram of Four as it vanished into the water, tracking its progress as it dove deeper. 

"Be careful down there, Thunderbird 4," Scott the ever worried big brother, added. 

"Yeah, yeah, I got this. It's a simple retrieval."

"Let's hope so," John muttered and she fought the urge to take his hand, not knowing if he would welcome it. "There are still two life signs registering, let's hope that they only went as a duo."

"Any sign of the sub?" Virgil wanted to know. 

"Not yet, but they are pretty far down by the looks of our scans, but no other subs or wreckage is close enough to be confusing our scanners, so the next thing I see should be them."

He sunk almost another 1,000 meters, his progress steady, before he spotted something emerging from the darkness below him. He peered through the viewing window in the bottom of his craft, just to be sure. Another 50 meters and there it was. 

"I see them! By the looks of it there's some damage to her tail end and it looks like she's taken on water. I'm going deeper for a closer look."

He directed the nose of his craft closer to the sub, checking out the damage, the images being relayed back to Five and Brains back at base. 

"As far as I can tell it looks like the whole back half might have flooded. I'm going to assume that they have some kind of breathing equipment in there since you're still getting life signatures."

"Yeah," John confirmed,"they're still registering as far as I can tell."

"My best guess is that something large struck their back end and that caused it to buckle, splitting a seam and letting in water, possibly even depressurising the sub. The fact that they're alive in there is a miracle, they shouldn't be. Going by the schematics of the sub that I checked out earlier, I'd say the only safe place would have been the cockpit area, which should have its own seal and air lock to the rest."

"Luckily they weren't directly on the epicenter, but if we get another quake or one that's a higher intensity they might not be so lucky."

Gordon pondered this for a moment, but Brains, who had evidently been listening in, added his own opinion. 

"You're safest option would be to t-try to cut through the middle of the sub, just below the cabin and attach a lifting pack to bring it to the surface."

"My thoughts exactly, Brains," Gordon agreed, already moving in to try to locate the best area to start cutting. 

"Thunderbird 4, I don't want to rush you," John began, his eyes on his map and the rapidly growing light that indicated another quake was brewing. 

"But you will," Gordon guessed, activating the laser cutter mounted on the left side arm of Four. 

"Based on previous patterns I predict that you have less than 2.5 minutes to cut through and get them out before another quake hits. There's no telling how big it will be so you need to hurry."

She heard Gordon gulp audibly but his voice was it's usually jokey self when he spoke."Oh, no problem, I'll be done in 2 with time to spare."

Gordon cosied Four up to the side of the sub, using the right arm claw to clamp his smaller craft to one of the subs fins. 

"2 minutes Gordon."

"Yeah, I know, starting to cut now."

Carefully, moving as quickly as he dared, Gordon began to slice through the metal of the sub. 

"1.5 Gordon."

"I know." 

He worked as fast as he could, a third of the way through the metal, directing the laser carefully, needing to avoid the air lock that held the crew safe. 

"One minute."

"I know!" 

"You got this babe, we know you do," Selene encouraged. 

"I'm trying, but I'm just not fast enough."

"30 seconds, get out of there Thunderbird 4, you have to move."

"No! Not yet, I've not got them."

"First rule of rescue, don't endanger yourself if you can help it. You're no good to them if you're hurt yourself. If you get hurt there is no one left to save them. So do as you're told, and move!" Scott was not messing around, his commander's voice out in full force. 

On the screen in front of them they saw the tectonic plates start to shift, they saw them begin to vibrate as they moved the ocean floor around them. 

"Shit!" Gordon swore, dropping the laser arm and unclamping from the sub. 

"Thunderbird 4!" John's voice was tense. 

"Gordon!" Alan called, knowing his brother would never ignore him if he could help it. 

They saw Thunderbird 4's small frame leap backwards from the submarines side and shoot upwards, buffeted by the rolling of the water around it, tossed this way and that. 

"Gordon!" Scott's bellow was almost deafening in all their ears. 

Four was still climbing in the water, fighting against the backlash of the quake as it intensified. Suddenly it stopped, stopped fighting against the water, stopped trying to outrun the backlash of the quake, it simply was. 

Selene knew that all eyes were on the little yellow craft, but hers had been drawn to the live feed from 1's scanner. 

The ripples from the plate radiated out, the seabed heaving against the force of it. And, like a tin can being stepped on, the X039 Oceanic Explorer crumpled in on itself, imploding as the pressurised cabin, weakened by the perforated hull, lost its battle against the force of the sea. 

"Gordon, answer us! Are you OK?" Virgil's voice hardly ever rose to a shout, he was the easy going, laid back brother of the group, but now you could hear the strain and worry there. 

John's eyes widened as he followed her gaze, watching as the two life signs blinked out of existence. 

The sea bed seemed to give one last, heaving sigh, as if with relief and settled back down to sleep. Four bobbed like a cork for a moment or two, not moving under its own power. 

They lent closer, John's fingers moving to increase the magnification of the feed, zooming in on Four.

"Thunderbird 4" John tried again, "come in Gordon!" 

There was silence over the airways for a few long, endless seconds and then the little image of the craft started to move, it's engines starting. 

"This is Thunderbird 4."

"Gordon! Thank the Gods, boy you do not scare me like that! Don't make me come down there!" Selene sagged in relief, refusing to even allow the imagined thoughts of what life would be like without the little ray of sunshine that was Gordon Tracy. 

"What happened?" Scott demanded to know. 

"I cut her engines and just let her float, you can't fight the ocean, you just have to go with the flow."

"Let us know next time, will ya?" Virgil was back to his laid back self but Selene still detected a slight edge to his voice. He'd been just as scared as the rest of them. 

"Sorry, didn't have time. Let me just get back down there and…" he trailed off as his little craft dove back down to the sub. 

Selene could practically see the scene in her head, see the aquanaut's wide, disbelieving eyes as he took in the scene before him. 

Four came to a stop again, the silence from her pilot almost deafening. 

"John, how many life signs do you see now?" 

"Gordon…"

"How many?" Gordon's voice was tightly controlled, demanding. 

"I'm sorry…"

Silence. Ten seconds, then twenty. Selene wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around Gordon and hold him so freakin tight and just make it all better. 

"I'm going to get them." 

No one bothered to argue with him. He was a Tracy and when they made up their minds about something there was never any changing it. They were strong, they were determined and they were the most kind hearted men she had ever met. All of that meant they gave their all to their jobs. 

No one told him not to as he clamped back on to the bent fin of the sub. No one told him to stop when he finished cutting away the last of the crumpled metal holding the flattened cabin to the tail of the sub. They were silently supportive when, after testing the weight of the cabin and deciding it was light enough, Gordon carried them to the surface. 

Virgil went down to collect his silent brother after Four docked and the crushed cockpit was loaded in beside it. Gordon wouldn't allow Alan to help him with anything, shrugging off his comforting hand on his shoulder. 

They took their precious cargo to the nearest hospital, while John alerted the coastguard and the authorities of what had happened. There was no one to blame but the salvagers themselves, that and mother nature, but the boys wouldn't be them if they weren't kicking themselves over not being able to do enough, Gordon more than any of them. 

The families of the explorers were notified and both Gordon and Virgil were subjected to an hour long interview with the authorities explaining over and over again what had happened and how it had gone wrong. Alan stayed with the bodies until they were collected by the fire service in order to extract them and the coroner to take them away. 

Selene stayed close to her spaceman, knowing he was the one that was usually forgotten about in the aftermath of a rescue, or in this case, a failed one. She knew John was the one that always blamed himself, did he not alert them quick enough, did he not pick up on all the danger signs, did he not do his job properly? 

As they all knew, you couldn't save everyone, but that didn't make the reality of failing any easier. 

"This is Thunderbirds 1 and 2 returning to base." 

The boys had been out for over five hours, they were tired, hungry and deeply saddened by everything that had happened. This was the part of the job they all hated. 

Sele cuddled her spaceman from behind, her arms tight around his middle. 

"I want to be there for them, and I want you to come with me. I think we all need each other today."

At first she thought he would argue. Oh he wouldn't stop her going, but he wasn't one for interacting at the best of times and this wasn't one of them. But slowly, over time spent with her, he was learning that locking yourself away wasn't the only way to deal with things. 

Slowly he nodded.


	12. Even heros need a hand.

Selene went down on her own, leaving John to follow along after he had finished the jobs that he insisted had to be done before he could leave. She knew he was lying to her, knew that he just needed a little time on his own to mentally prepare himself for the coming hours. She didn't blame him and didn't hold it against him, she simply kissed him, told him she loved him and then threatened to come back up and drag him down if he wasn't there in two hours. There was only so much sweetness she could give. 

She trusted EOS to dock the elevator safely and not try to kill her, which was a miracle in itself. She and the AI had indeed formed a truce and surprisingly, had become friends. It was true what they say, once you find a common ground, in this case John, you could be friends with anyone if you tried hard enough. 

She left the elevator and made her way straight to the kitchen and began raiding the cupboards. She knew that Grandma Tracy wouldn't mind, in fact she liked the company, that and passing off the witches cooking as her own. 

There wasn't much to work with, this being near the end of the month when supplies were dwindling, but she did her best. 

She dug through the freezer, taking out a few bags of chilli that she'd made previously, dumping them in a pot on the stove to defrost. She then threw some large potatoes in the oven to bake, thinking they would be nicer than rice, along with some pre-rolled and frozen cookie dough balls. 

Kayo appeared in the kitchen half an hour after she'd docked and helped her to make a salad and grate some cheese. Then she made sure the drinks fridge was stocked with enough beers to stun a college football team. There was nothing else to do but wait for the boys to arrive home. 

Scott was first, his engines having a distinctive sound, a higher pitch than 2's and not as loud. They stopped talking as he docked, knowing their words would be drowned out anyway. 

Virgil's crew in 2 followed about 15 minutes behind Scott, the deep bass of her engines vibrating the air as she touched down and slid into her hidey hole in the side of the volcanic mountain rock that made up the middle of the island. 

Scott wandered slowly into the kitchen, silently accepting the beer that Kayo handed him. 

"Everything go as it should with the authorities?" she wanted to know, probably already planning how she could make life miserable for anyone that dared cause trouble for her adoptive brothers. 

"As well as it could, " he acknowledged, glugging back a good half of the bottle. "They knew they were out there, they knew they chose to stay and they know we'd have done everything in our power to try to help them. That's all they asked really."

He sat down on one of the kitchen stools, looking tired and mentally wrung out, not that Selene could blame him. 

They didn't really have anything else to say, and small talk seemed trivial and pointless compared to what had happened that day, so she contented herself with stirring the chilli, checking the potatoes and heating up a large pan of milk to make some cocoa for those who might want it. 

Alan was next to arrive, and she immediately offered him a hug, wrapping her arms tightly around her little sweetheart until he squirmed to get away. Settling him down with a mug of chocolate and a couple of the now baked cookies. 

John's voice cut into the quiet of the kitchen, telling them he'd be at least another half hour, earning him a pointed time reminder from his witch which he ignored. 

When Virgil hadn't appeared more than twenty minutes after Alan, she went in search of him, loading up with cookies, a mug of chocolate and a bottle of beer under her arm. 

She found him still sitting in 2, though he opened the module hatch to allow her entry when he saw her through the window.

"You OK, mighty meaty?" 

That got a small laugh from him, a low rumble in his chest. "I never know what you're going to call us next."

She shrugged. "Feel sorry for your brother, he never knows what I'm gonna say at any given moment and you know unpredictability drives him nuts."

She held up the mug for his inspection, and then the beer. He took them both, putting the beer down for later and sipping from the mug, accepting the cookies too. 

"Where's Squidward?" 

"Gordon? He left as soon as we got back, I haven't seen him. I was going to go find him as soon as I was done here."

"But it all got a bit too much?" 

V opened his mouth to argue, to insist that he was fine, but took one look at her warning eyebrow and nodded. "Yeah, I just needed a few minutes."

Without asking permission she plopped down on his lap and gave him the biggest hug in the history of hugs. Virgil was their gentle giant, the sweetheart that gave comfort and affection to everyone else and hardly ever accepted it in return. Well, he'd better get used to it with her there. 

It took a few moments, but then his big arms wrapped around her, squashing her against his chest. 

She didn't try to move, she didn't try to break the hug, she was there for the long haul, for as long as any of them needed her, she'd be there. She knew that taking on one Tracy meant you took on the rest, they were a package deal and she was more than happy with that. 

Eventually his arms loosened their tight grip and she felt him begin to pull away, though she wouldn't let him go before he got a kiss on the cheek and another squeeze. 

"There's baked potatoes and chilli in the kitchen."

Virgil made a face. "Yeah, I'm not that hungry, I'll just stick with these cookies."

She patted his shoulder as she hauled herself up. 

"Grandma didn't cook, I heated up those leftovers I put in the freezer." 

"On second thoughts, maybe I could manage a little something."

They walked together to the kitchen where she deposited him on a stool with a plateful of food, forcing the same on Scott who seemed to be on his third beer. Alan was already eating having helped himself.

Selene busied herself on the other side of the kitchen, leaving them to eat. Quickly she made a flask of chamomile tea, with lemon and honey as per his requirements, and made two grilled cheese sandwiches, with three kinds of cheese, his favourite. She tucked the sandwiches into a warming box and slipped silently away. 

***

She knocked quietly on his door, knowing she would likely be ignored. She waited a few minutes then knocked again. 

"Hey, Aquaman, I know you're in there."

No answer greeted her, but she heard the shuffle of feet on the other side of the door. 

"Sweetheart, please, let me in."

Nothing.

"I'm not going away, so you deal with me, or with Scott, who's your better option?" 

The lock clicked and the door opened a crack. "No offence, but I just want to be alone right now."

"What we want and what we need are two completely different things, darling one." She held up her offerings. "I brought you a snack."

"I'm not hungry, Sel."

She pushed past him into his room, ignoring his huff of frustration, plonking down on the end of his bed and patting the mattress in invitation. 

"Come talk to me."

"I don't want to talk!" 

"I know," she replied calmly, "but again, what we want and what we need aren't the same."

She opened the flask and poured him a cup of tea, wiggling it in invitation. 

"You're not leaving, are you?" 

She shook her head. "Not a snowball's chance in hell."

Sighing he took the cup from her, holding it between both his hands as he slowly sat down. 

"Today wasn't your fault."

The glare he threw at her would have killed a lesser man, thankfully she was a woman and immune to such things. 

"I'm serious, I won't let you sit here and beat yourself up over something you couldn't change."

"You won't let me?" Anger replaced his usually cheerful tone. "Who are you to let me do anything? What the hell do you know about anything?" 

"I'm someone who loves you and cares about you. I know that I saw what happened today. I know that you couldn't have done anything differently."

He slammed the cup down on his bedside table and leapt to his feet. "I could have saved them! I could have done my job! They were counting on me…" his fingers tunnelled into his hair, gripping the sandy strands as if to rip them from his head. "I let them down."

"No you didn't."

"I FAILED THEM!" 

"Failing them would have been not trying at all."

He seemed to deflate before her eyes, slumping in on himself. His voice when he spoke was barely above a whisper. "I let them die."

She got to her feet, pulling him into her arms.

He was stiff in her embrace and she almost let go, but her every instinct told her to wait it out. 

Slowly, hesitantly, his arms slipped around her waist, his head lowering to rest against her shoulder. 

"You didn't let them die, sweetheart. You fought for them. You cared enough to try, endangering yourself in the process."

"It wasn't enough. They died because of me." She held him tighter, rocking him as she would a child. 

"No baby, they died because of themselves. They made their choice, they decided to go out there, they chose to ignore the warnings and break the rules. They were in trouble before the quakes. They made their choice and that is not on you."

"It doesn't feel that way."

"I know, sweetheart, I know. And nothing I can say will change how you see it. But I might have an idea that will help."

A pair of chocolate brown eyes, shiny with moisture, looked up at her. 

"You trust me?" 

A heartbeat…two…then he nodded. 

"OK, let's go."

"Go? Go where?" Gordon stepped out of her embrace to stare at her in confusion. 

"Your favourite place." She tipped the tea back into the flash and screwed the lid on tight, scooping up the sandwich box too. 

"My favourite place?" 

"Yep, I know you have one, everyone does. Where do you go when you need to be at peace?" 

He paused, then the start of what might possibly be a tiny smile lifted his lips. 

***

The waves lapped gently against the sand as they walked slowly along the beach, heading for a natural lagoon on the south side of the island. 

"It's beautiful, but then the whole island is. Totally amazing, a little slice of the world that's just yours."

"I rehabbed here after my accident, when I wasn't cleared to swim in the sea because of the tide."

"Can I ask you a question?" 

He turned away from the water to look at her. 

"Could I actually stop you if I wanted to?" 

She shrugged. "Honestly, probably not, but if I thought you couldn't answer I wouldn't ask."

"Go on then," he sighed, admitting defeat. 

"Who do you blame for your accident?" 

His frown was epic. "What kind of question is that? I don't blame anyone. I was stupid, I thought I was better than I was and I forgot the golden rule. Respect the sea."

She didn't say anything else, just left him to puzzle over that one as she sat down on the side of the bank. Uncaring as to the fact that she was still fully dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, she slipped into the water. 

Gordon stared at the crazy lady that had steamrolled her way into their lives. 

"Are you just going to stand and stare at me all day, or are you going to join me?" 

He hadn't changed out of his wetsuit uniform and honestly a dip would probably do him good. Slowly he lowered himself into the water. 

Selene held out her hand. "Come here."

He was hesitant at first but remembered that he'd agreed to trust her and placed his hand in hers. 

She tugged him closer then grabbed his shoulders, turning him around. "Lay back."

"What?"

"Did I stutter? Lay back."

He'd had the worse kind of day and now it seemed like he was about to have the strangest night too. His brother really knew how to pick the weirdest of girlfriends. 

"What have you got to lose?" 

She was taunting him, her tone clearly implying he was some kind of whimp. His anger flared again. She had interrupted him, forced her way into his room then dragged him out for this? Fine! She wanted him to lay back, he would. 

He let his legs lift up and his body relax into her hold. 

"Good, you do have a sensible side."

"And you have a death wish."

"Of course I do," she agreed just to humour him. "Now, you remember what I taught John?" 

He frowned. "That grounding thing?" 

"Yep, but we're doing it your way. You in?" 

Was he in? He didn't even know what in was. How could you be in if you didn't have a clue what you were volunteering for? 

She waited patiently, not pushing him. 

"I'm in, I guess."

"Smart choice, water baby." 

Water baby? What was with her and the nicknames? 

"Now, I want you to stop thinking and just feel."

Stop thinking? How was that even possible? What was he supposed to feel? 

"You're still thinking."

"Of course I am!" 

"Well stop. Just feel."

"Feel! Feel what?" What did she want from him? Some hippy dippy love in where you explored your feelings? How did you feel when you didn't want to? When you wouldn't allow yourself to? 

"Everything. Feel the water all around you, feel the way it moves, feel the wetness, feel the coolness, feel the air move over your skin. Feel the way your body moves in the water, feel me right here with you. Just close your eyes, take a deep breath, and feel."

She was mad. A few sandwiches short of a picnic, crazy. 

"Stop over thinking it. At least try."

Maybe if he tried she'd let him go and he could hide away until she left. He did as she bid, closed his eyes and breathed deeply. With his eyes closed he found he was more aware of the way the water buffeted his body, the way he felt almost weightless. Her arms were under his, crossed over his chest and he finally allowed himself to relax back, his head resting on her shoulder. 

"That's better, sweetheart." She dropped a little kiss on his forehead. "You're doing great. Can you feel the energy in the water? The way it feels almost like it's alive? A living, breathing thing around you?" 

He nodded. He'd always felt that way about the ocean, like it was a living creature all of its own, with its own moods and personality. He'd tried to explain it to his WASP roommate but James had looked at him like he was insane and he'd never given a voice to those thoughts again. 

"That's what it's like for me all the time. I feel nature, I feel the earth, I feel the air, I feel the water like its a friend that's there to help."

He understood that, he always felt at home in the water, more so than he did on land. It felt natural, calming and peaceful. The water was where he went when he didn't want to think, when he didn't want to deal with the things that others couldn't ever imagine experiencing but that had become every day reality for them. 

"I know it's hard, but I need you to trust me for a little longer, precious. I need you to let the pain out. All that emotion you're trying so hard to lock away, all those memories you don't want to look at. I need you to let them out."

He stiffened, his brain screaming a refusal. He didn't want to open that mental box, he didn't want to give freedom to the images that haunted his dreams whenever he closed his eyes. He didn't want to feel. 

"Trust me, please."

It was the please that did it, that allowed him to crack open the lock that held everything tightly in check…

The wave of emotions crashed over him, stealing his breath with its intensity. He felt tears leaking from his eyes and wanted to turn away, to hide his face in shame. He was supposed to be strong, he was supposed to be the one that others relied on, not a weak mess. What use would he be to anyone if he wasn't strong? How could he rescue people when he needed rescuing himself? He had to stay separated, stay cut off from the thoughts that bombarded him day and night. He was better off alone. 

He tried to squirm away but her arms held him tightly, not letting him go and he could feel her heart beating steadily against his back, her cheek pressed against his. She was real, solid and she was there. And somehow he knew, with a sure certainty, that she wouldn't let him go, she wouldn't let him down. She'd be there. 

"Focus, baby, focus on that pain. See it in your mind, see it as a red mist, a nasty darkness that you don't need. See it, and take control. You're the one in charge, you control it, don't let it control you. I want you to gather it up and push it out. You don't need it. Push it out and let the water take it."

He tried, he really did. He could see it just as she described, a pulsing mass of red in the center of his chest. A dark, gelatinous blob around his heart that squeezed with each beat, threatening to stop it all together. 

She felt his heart speed up, saw his chest rising and falling rapidly as he struggled to draw more air into his lungs. She rubbed her cheek against his, letting him know she was there. 

"Feel the water, let it flow over you, let it take the pain and wash it away. Give it up, you don't need it."

He could feel the water lapping at his suit, calling to him. He could feel it like an addiction in his blood, luring him in as it so often did. The same urge he had to dive under its surface and enter the peaceful realm that was his alone. 

"You got it? You feel that?" 

He couldn't put it into words, but he knew exactly what she meant. 

"Deep breath, sweetness."

She didn't wait to see if he did as she bid, she inhaled deeply and lifted her legs, dropping them both under the water. She hugged him tightly, feeling his body shudder against hers. 

He heard her command and automatically obeyed, his swimmers lungs filling to capacity. The water flowed over then both, closing over their heads, cutting them off from the rest of the world. 

The peace was there instantly, calling to him as it always did, but this time he understood what it was saying. He felt something shift inside him, like a switch being flipped. The pain was still there, the memories were still there, he doubted they would ever go away, but he gave his permission to release them. He let go of the guilt, thinking clearly for the first time since he'd seen the crushed remains of the submarine. 

She'd been right, the salvagers had taken their lives into their own hands, it had been their decision, their choice, no one else's. He couldn't have done anything differently, none of them could. They had done everything right, but the weight of failure had been too heavy to allow him to believe it. 

Just as his crash had been his fault, his choice to go that fast, his choice to push his limits, his understanding that he was risking his own safety for the thrill of the ride, so had this been their choice. 

Did he wish he could have helped them? Of course he did. But the quake would have still crushed them even if he'd managed to get them separated from the rest of the hull. He'd never have gotten them up in time. Nature had been to blame, not him. 

He let the pain soak into the water, let his element carry it away as it so often carried him, releasing something inside him that he hadn't even realised he'd been holding on to. 

Her lungs burned, screaming for air and she had to give in to their demands. She planted her feet and pushed up, their heads breaking the surface of the water. 

She gasped for air, sucking in a deep breath as he did the same. She let him turn in her arms, let him slide his own around her waist as he clung to her. She hugged him tightly, rubbed his back as he sobbed silently against her neck. She stroked the wet hair back from his face and crooned soft nonsense words in his ear, letting him cry it all out. 

He cried for all those they couldn't help, all those he knew would never see another day. He cried for the bodies they had left back at the hospital, which could now be returned to their families, a closure of sorts. He cried for his brothers and the pain he knew they felt too, and he cried with relief, because now he knew that he wasn't broken. He was strong. They all were. 

As the tears wound down he mentally pulled himself together, building himself up stronger than before. His beloved ocean sang to him, calm and reassuring in its presence. He took a deep breath of the salty air and dropped his arms, releasing the witch. 

"Better?" She kept her hand on his shoulder, keeping the connection. 

"Yeah," his voice was shaky, but strong. "Thank you."

"Any time, sweetness."

"I'm sorry I was rude to you."

She snorted out a laugh. "Sweetheart, you are nothing compared to your brother when he's at his grumpiest."

She turned and splashed her way back to the bank, hauling herself out to sit in the sand. It took him a few minutes to feel ready, but he did join her. 

They sat quietly for a while, just watching the ocean beyond the little lagoon as it lapped calmly against the beach. The sun seemed to sink down into it, painting the water in oranges and reds, betraying the lateness of the day. 

"You hungry yet?" 

She startled him out of his thoughts and he almost said no automatically, knowing what food would likely be available. 

"I guess, a little. I could eat."

She reached for the box and handed it to him. Cautiously he opened the lid, his eyes widening in wonder. 

"Grilled cheese? That's my favourite."

She smiled, nudging him with her shoulder. "I know."

***

It was a very damp, sandy and bedraggled duo that made their way back to the house a short while later. There were a few raised eyebrows but no one said a word as Selene excused herself to go shower and change. 

It had been a long and emotional day and she was more grateful than she could put into words to find her spaceman stretched out on his bed, waiting for her when she emerged from the shower. 

She stole one of his t-shirts from his closet, even though she had some of her own hanging beside them, pulled it on and laid down beside him. 

He pulled her into his arms when she rolled closer, letting her settle her head on his chest. 

"You're late, Star Boy."

"Only by an hour. That's nothing."

"So you say."

He smiled to himself, as usual finding her grumblings to be highly amusing. 

"Thank you for taking care of everyone."

She waved his thanks aside as she always did. "It's what you do for family, it's nothing special."

And that was what he loved about her. She genuinely didn't see that she had done anything out of the ordinary, she didn't care that she'd taken on the entire clan without even blinking. She simply took care of them as she did him and did it with her usual unflappable good humour. 

"How long have we got before they come after us?" she muttered, snuggling closer. 

"At a guess, about three minutes."

She sighed, lifting her head for the kiss he willingly offered. 

"Better go and get it over with."

He smiled, knowing she didn't really mind. He allowed her to drag him upright but kept hold of her hand as they went to rejoin the family.


	13. Day out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A fun day out is needed.

"You have no idea what you've let yourself in for," John shook his head sadly, already imagining the trauma she'd soon be enduring and the earbashing he'd have to hear after. "I can't believe this was actually your idea."

"What can I say, you guys aren't the only ones that like to live dangerously."

"There's dangerous and then there's just plain crazy."

"You say that like it's a bad thing…"

He ignored that. "Just promise me one thing, don't let Alan talk you into anything, you're the adult."

"Pffft, give me some credit," Selene pouted, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I'll reserve judgement until you both get home in one piece."

She rolled her eyes. "I thought you were supposed to be the understanding one? Have a little faith in me and my ability to handle your brother." 

"I do have faith i-" 

"OH MY GOD, I WANNA COME TOO!" 

John's eyes widened. "You're doomed, it was nice knowing you, I'll miss you." He gave her a quick goodbye kiss and shoved her out of his room, locking the door behind him. 

"Fuck."

***

"I swear to the gods if you two try to swing me by my arms one more time, we're going home."

Gordon sniggered but let go of her hand. Alan didn't but she trusted him a little more than the other one.

How had she made the mistake of promising Alan they would have a day out and he could choose the activities? John was right, she couldn't be trusted to think for herself, she had a death wish. She was too stupid to live some days. 

All she wanted to do was give the baby a little fun, a day out where he could be a kid and not have to worry about anything more than what to order at McDonald's. It had seemed like such a simple plan. 

Parker had given her a sympathetic look when he'd driven them to the theme park. Honestly she appreciated it, because Virgil had dropped them off at the stately home with a wide grin and asked if he could have the donuts she'd left in the cupboard, since she wouldn't be needing them. She hadn't dignified that with an answer, besides, if he thought that Scott and John would leave them alone long enough to be there when he got back he was crazier than she was. Those two were like starving vultures. 

Alan had chosen a theme park, which was fine with her, although she wasn't a massive fan of big rides or things that went zoom. Gordon had heard they were going and demanded he be allowed to tag along, she was powerless to resist any of them, let alone the two youngest when they turned those puppy dog eyes on her. She was weak, so very weak. 

"Where are we starting?" Alan wanted to know, his eyes darting excitedly all over the map. 

"Oh, aquarium!" 

Figured Gordon would spot that and want to go. 

"Sure, let's do the animals first then maybe some rides," Selene hedged, wondering if she could get away with pushing them onto some rides and just taking pictures from the sidelines. 

"Cool!" 

***

"Oh my God, how can you do that?" 

"Do what?" Selene let the fluffy spider crawl across the back of her hand and onto the palm of her other. 

"That, with that thing!" Alan pointed a shaking finger at the tarantula that was minding its own business as she cooed happily to it. 

"Oh look at you, so pretty."

"You're so weird, Sel."

She nodded, not even bothering to argue. "I know. You wanna hold her?" 

"Hell no! Keep that thing away from me."

"Fine, wimp." She carefully handed the spider back to its handler, then spotted the next thing she wanted to cuddle. 

"Hey, Allie!" 

Alan was focused on the young lady who was leading a tour through to the meerkat enclosure. 

"Yeah? AHHHHH!" 

Selene sniggered as he turned to face her and found himself nose to nose with the boa she had draped across her arms. 

"WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU GOT THAT FOR?" 

"To cuddle, obviously." She lifted the snake's head and dropped a little kiss on top. He was so lovely, a big, docile baby that just wanted to be stroked. He tightened his tail around her arm and lifted up, trying to get closer to Alan. 

"Get it away!" He was gone before she could even blink. 

"Fast little bugger, isn't he?" she chatted to the snake conversationally, smiling as the handler helped unwind him from her arm. "Thanks for the cuddle, slithers, but I have to go find my little brother before he causes any damage."

She glanced around to ask Gordon if he'd seen Alan…gone. Both of them. Shit. 

"Alan!" she tore off in the direction the rest of the tour had gone, hoping to find him. "Gordon!" Maybe they were together. A Witch could hope. 

Neither of them were with the tour, which ruined all her plans. She retraced her steps, ran here and there for a good ten minutes, but they were nowhere to be seen. 

She didn't have any of her tools with her so she couldn't simply dowse for them as she would anything else. 

"Damn it." She really didn't want to have to do this…

She tucked herself into a corner and lifted up her comm that hung around her neck in pendant form. She tapped the round quartz in the middle.

"John?" 

His torso popped up in small hologram form, showing him reclining in mid-air in the middle of the monitoring station. She should have known he'd vanish up there the second her back was turned. 

"Still alive I see. Everything OK?" 

"Why would anything be wrong? Maybe I just missed you and wanted to hear your voice?" 

One sleek eyebrow rose in disbelief. 

"I did miss you! But, purely hypothetically, if you'd lost two brothers, what would you do?" 

"You lost both of them?" 

"No! I said it was hypothetical. And I didn't lose them, they wandered off and lost themselves. Technically they lost me because I stayed in the same spot."

He just stared at her, not bothering to dignify that with an answer. 

"So, what would you do?" she wondered if she'd have to resort to begging, or flashing the twins at him, anything to get him to help. 

"Well, hypothetically speaking, if I were in your situation, I'd have tried calling their comms rather than calling me."

She facepalmed herself so hard she almost knocked herself out. 

"Babe, that's makes too much sense. This is me we're talking about."

"True."

She shot him a glare which he ignored, sitting up to tap at one of his monitors. 

"Gordon appears to be in the aquarium and Alan is out by the gazelles. Personally I'd go get the smallest one first, though honestly, I wouldn't worry too much, they can look after themselves."

"Thank you, I love you." She blew him a kiss and swiped the comm off before diving out of her hidey hole and tearing off towards the African area. 

"Alan?" 

She couldn't see him by the gazelles but, upon turning around, she spotted a suspiciously large crowd nearby. 

She raced over, hearing the chattering as she neared. 

"What's he doing?" 

"Is he allowed in there?" 

"Is this part of the show?" 

"What fresh hell is this?" she groaned as she pushed her way through the crowd to see…

"Alan! Get down from there! What the hell, boy?" 

She whipped out her phone and snapped a quick picture, just in case she needed proof that he hadn't succeeded in his task. 

The smallest Tracy was hanging from the neck of a giraffe, one foot still balanced on the fencing of the enclosure, his other leg half over it's back. One arm was slung around the long neck, while the other was reaching up to the animal's head, trying to grab the wrist comm that dangled from its teeth. 

"Get down!" 

"But…my comm."

"I'll get it, just get down before you get hurt, or worse, caught by security."

Alan gave her the look that all teenagers had mastered by midnight on their 13th birthday, all cocky self belief, knowing that they could do whatever they wanted and you were simply being boring and unreasonable. 

She gave him a look right back, the one that even Scott didn't dare argue with. 

John could likely have heard his brother's epic sigh from space, but Alan knew when he'd been beaten and carefully climbed down, dropping down to land beside her. 

"I don't know how you're gonna get my comm back…"

She raised an eyebrow at him, then stepped forward, lifting her hand up to the giraffe. Gathering her psychic energy, she reached out to the animal, connecting with its own. 

"Can I have that back, please?" 

Alan snorted, crossing his arms. There was no way that was going to work. 

The giraffe opened its mouth, the comm dropping into her hand. 

"Thank you." She handed the comm to Alan and grabbed his hand, dragging him away. 

"Come on, I lost the other one too."

"How the…how did you…what was that?" 

"Witch." It was her standard answer to most things, it saved her having to explain and honestly, she liked to be mysterious now and then. It was fun to watch their confused faces. Not that she had time for that right at that moment. 

She towed the baby towards the aquarium, refusing to let go of his hand. She didn't know how the giraffe had gotten hold of his comm, or why he'd thought climbing the thing was the best way to get it back, but she wasn't taking any chances that he might suddenly be overcome by the urge to ride a shark or some other shit that would give her a heart attack. 

They sped through calm corridors made up of tank after tank of peacefully swimming fish, wandering lobsters, sliding snails and waving tentacles. She wished they had time to actually stop and look, but they were on a mission, and that was of utmost importance. 

They rounded a corner, coming upon the tail end of a tour. 

"Cool, shark feeding time!" 

Would it be safe enough to leave Alan there to watch while she looked for his brother? 

"Stay put. Do not move. I mean it!" 

He held his hands up in an innocent 'nothing up my sleeves' gesture. She wasn't buying it but didn't have much of a choice. 

She gestured to her eyes and then pointed at him, "I'm watching you." Alan just grinned that sweet, adorable smile of his that made her melt every time. 

"Not fair, you little shit."

He smiled wider. "Love you, Selly."

"Shut up," there was no heat to her words and he was confident in the knowledge that she loved and adored him. 

They wormed their way towards the front of the tour, looking for a spot to stand. 

"Sharks are constantly in motion, every moving, you'll never see a shark that's still. Sharks breathe using their gills, water passes through these and for that to happen they have to be swimming. If they stop swimming, they die."

"That's not technically true…"

Selene closed her eyes, praying for a miracle. But no, that really was her lost brother and he really was arguing with the tour guide. 

"Some sharks can stay still, or have a rest, by means of careful positioning. If they tuck themselves into the right spot they can allow the water to simply flow over their gills. And that's not even including the Wobbegong species that use their cheeks as pockets, holding the water in their mouths and pumping it over their gills themselves. Honestly, species that actually have to keep moving are in the minority."

The tour guide narrowed his eyes at Gordon but his tone remained polite. "I think you might be a little confused there, young man."

Gordon grinned. "I can assure you I'm not."

"Excuse me a moment, ladies and gentlemen," the guide smiled, stepping down from the feeding platform to corner Gordon. "You need to shut up, son. Let the experts talk."

Selene saw red, how dare anyone talk to one of her boys that way. She pushed her way through and grabbed the guide by the shoulder, spinning him round.

"Who the hell do you think you are getting up in my brother's face like that just because you don't know your job?" 

The guide's face turned thunderous but she refused to back down, mostly because she was a couple of inches taller than him and he'd annoyed her with his attitude. 

"No, madame, who do you think you are? I suggest you step back before I call security."

Selene's eyes flashed dangerously as she lowered her voice, hissing under her breath. "And I suggested you back the fuck off before I tell your manager that your bachelors is actually bullshit because you quit university. Apologise to him, now."

"How did you…?"

"Witch. Now, say sorry, I'm waiting." She stepped away, reaching a hand back to Gordon who grabbed it, a shit eating grin on his face as he waited for his apology. 

"I am sorry that I told you to shut up."

"Like you mean it," Gordon pushed, clearly having the time of his life. 

"I'm sorry that I said you were wrong."

"And if I'm not wrong, I'm…"

"Right," the word was squeezed out from between gritted teeth, but it would do. He turned on his heel and practically ran for the feeding station, happy to be free. 

"Aww, Sel, you called me your brother," Gordon tried to hug her but she squirmed out of the way, pushing his face out of her personal bubble. 

"Get the fuck, little weirdo."

"Your little weirdo brother!" 

"Hush your mouth."

She didn't bother to wait any longer, dragging Gordon out by his hand, collecting Alan on the way, although he protested madly at having to miss the feeding show. 

"You live on a tropical island! You must see sharks all the time!" 

"Yeah, but it's not the same."

"It'll have to do, I think we're on the verge of being kicked out if we don't leave. Come on."

"Can we get food?" 

"Yes!" Bless the boy's ability to be distracted by his stomach. 

***

She had watched in horrified fascination as both boys started on their second double stacked burgers and third order of fries before she was even halfway through her single cheeseburger. 

Alan was slurping on the largest milkshake known to mankind and Gordon was acting like the unlimited free coke refill was a personal challenge. 

By the time they had ordered a super sundae each she was sending heartfelt prayers to Scott for his insistence that she take the card linked to the household bank account because hers would have been screaming a protest at the abuse it was receiving. 

Wanting to remember the moment, she snapped a few sneaky pictures of them chatting together and playing around. 

As soon as lunch was over they declared it to be time for some rides. She groaned inwardly. This was the part she had been dreading. She wasn't a big fan of things that spun you really fast or didn't seem to have much of a side to it. 

The boys merrily discussed the merits of the different rides, each one sounding more terrifying than the last. 

"I've always liked the log flume," she commented hopefully and, being the sweethearts that they were, they decided to do that one first. 

They weren't impressed, declaring it boring and too slow. She felt her hopes of getting out of this park alive dwindling by the second. 

"What about that one?" Gordon pointed to a terrifying looking thing that seemed to involve seats attached to chains that dangled in mid air from a weird mushroom looking contraption that span like a top, sending you swinging out in all directions. 

"Erm, no. Not for me. But you two go ahead, I'll just wait here. We've just eaten and if I go on that I'll be sick."

Thankfully they didn't try too hard to convince her, obviously not wanting to risk the results, running off to join the line. She settled down on a bench to watch them, thankful that things seemed to be going smoothly again. 

She took out her phone, snapped a picture of the boys waiting in line, chatting animatedly amongst themselves. Smiling she send the picture to Scott, Virgil and John. 

John text back first :Both together I see.

Scott was next: They look so innocent…

By the time Virgil's name popped up she was dreading reading it: I ate your donuts. 

"Lovely, thanks V." She wasn't too annoyed though, they were just a typical family, and she loved that she was a part of it. Her own brother was just as awesome but she didn't get to see him anywhere near enough since he had left to go travelling. She had left home when she was quite young, her parents never really understanding her magic, her lifestyle or her in general. She still saw them at birthdays and holidays but was used to fending for herself. It felt strange to be back in a family unit, especially one as large as they had, but it was a good strange. 

"Sel! We're getting on!" 

She waved at Alan, holding up her phone to show she was filming them as she had promised. 

She filmed as they were strapped in, zoomed in on their delighted faces as they were winched up into the air and laughed was them as they yelled and cheered, clearly loving it. 

"Little weirdos," she muttered affectionately. She adored those boys, adored them all really, she'd do anything for them. Weak, she was so fucking weak. 

They came running out to greet her, checking she'd gotten some good footage before dragging her off to the next ride. 

***

"Come on, Sel, it's the last ride of the day, the parks closing soon. Just one ride?" 

"No, I'm really not into them."

"Are you scared?" Gordon teased. 

"No! Of course not!" She wasn't scared, she was fucking terrified! 

"I think you are…"

"Screw you, boy!" 

"I dare you! In fact, I double dare you!" 

Oh dear, Gordon had done gone fucked up. Because if there was one thing she could never, ever turn down, it was a dare. 

"Little fucker!" 

She turned on her heel and marched for the line, both boys cheering madly as they trotted along behind her. 

She was so going to regret this. 

They had managed to pick the fastest, most loopy, spinney, up and downy, stop and starty fucking thing in the entire park, possibly even the world. 

She stared up at it in horror, praying to Zeus and Thor for lightning to strike her down and put her out of her misery. 

"It'll be fun!" Alan hugged her from behind. She glared over her shoulder at his freckled face, wishing he wasn't so damned cute and that she could abandon him somewhere, preferably somewhere remote with wolves. 

"I hate you."

Alan's face crumpled for a second before Gordon spoke up. "Ignore her, she says that to John all the time."

"But she loves him!" 

"Exactly."

Alan thought about it for a second then hugged her again. "Love you too, Sel."

"I'm doomed."

***

The burly ride operator locked the metal chest harnesses in place, shaking it to make sure it was solid. 

She'd tucked her pendant down into her top but was clinging to Gordon's arm, holding his wrist up to her face. 

"John! John! You have to help me, fake an emergency, come and get me!" 

"No. You wanted to go out with them. You're on your own."

"You would if you loved me!" 

"This was your idea."

The ride lurched forward and she yelped, eyes wide as it started to climb slowly upwards. She looked up, seeing the first loop looming so high it looked like it was touching the clouds. Oh…fuck…

"I want a divorce!" 

Alan started laughing, Gordon dissolved into hysterics as their brother's voice rose to be heard over her screaming. 

"We aren't married."

"I'll marry you, then divorce you, just to make a point!"

"She totally would!" Gordon wheezed, yanking his arm back as they crested the top of the loop. The car stopped there, their feet hanging with nothing beneath them but air. 

"Oh fucking…shiiiiiiitttttttt," she screamed as the ride suddenly dropped, zooming them down a truly horrendous drop, twisting this way and that, barrelling into one loop after another. 

She squeezed her eyes closed tight as the psychotic brothers laughed and whooped with joy, enjoying every second of the wild ride. She clung to their hands, practically breaking bones as she screamed and screamed, utterly terrified by the whole experience. 

"Shitting, wanking thing!" 

She'd left her stomach about six loops back and and was worried her heart was about to go the same way. The wind rushed against her skin, blowing her hair around in all different directions, whipping the boys in the face as the ride twisted around. 

They climbed another stupidly high loop and she refused to look, feeling Alan squeezing her hand. 

"Last one, Sel, it's almost over."

Her whole body was shaking, her hands clammy. She tried to breathe but feared she would hyperventilate if she tried much harder. 

"Please let me live, please let me live, I'm too young to die, " she squeezed Gordon's hand to get his attention. "If I die, tell your brother I love him even though he's a shit to me, make sure you say it exactly like that." 

"I promise," Gordon laughed. 

"Hold tight!" Alan's face was one massive grin. 

"Here we go!" 

"You're both craaaazzzzzzyyyyyy!" 

She refused to move for almost a minute after the ride stopped, only managing to stagger to her feet when the operator told her she'd have to go again if she didn't get off. 

"I hate you both."

"No you don't. You love us."

"Debatable."

Alan grinnined and looped his arm through hers. 

"Can we get some snacks for the ride home?" 

***

Selene smiled softly as she carefully folded a tissue and eased it between Alan's cheek and her shoulder, where he was fast asleep and drooling freely. 

"Thanks for today. I think we both needed it."

She turned to Gordon, keeping one arm around her littlest love. 

"I still haven't forgiven you, but you're welcome."

He grinned cheekily and cuddled up to her side. 

"You love me really."

"Debatable."

He turned his soulful little puppy eyes on her and she was sunk. 

"Urghh you're so annoying." She kissed the tip of his nose, just because it was there and he was so cute. 

"I know."

Well, how could you argue with that?

She nodded to her phone, which was in her backpack and he handed it to her. Stretching out an arm she snapped a selfie of her and Alan, then all three of them when Gordon shoved his head in next to hers. Taking the hint she cozied up to him and they both smiled for the camera. 

All in all it hadn't been that bad of a day, they had survived and had some great memories to laugh at later. It had been nice spending some time with the two smalls and getting to know them better. They might have been pains in her butt, but they were the sweetest boys in the world and she wouldn't change them or their day out for anything. 

She settled back against the seat and was about to toss her phone back into her bag when she had an idea. 

Pulling up a website she placed a large food order to be delivered to Creighton-Ward manor, ready for when Virgil came to pick them up. 

***

"Do I smell food?" Scott popped his head around the door, clearly following his nose. 

Virgil grinned as he humped another two bags of containers onto the kitchen table. 

"Selene ordered Chinese Food. Penny had it waiting when I got there and it we got it loaded for when Parker dropped them off."

Scott tapped his fist to his chest in an appreciative salute and started helping to lay out the containers while Gordon found plates. 

"Food?" Kayo called over the comms, appearing a few minutes later to put together her own meal from the bounty provided. 

Gordon and Alan had done the same, piling their plates high with a bit of everything she'd ordered, which was practically the whole menu. How they could continue to eat after the lunch they had packed away was a mystery only they knew. 

Brains was called but proclaimed himself to be too busy to come and that he'd eat later, so they set some aside for him. 

Selene was busy pouring them all drinks when a warm pair of arms wormed their way around her waist. Soft lips nuzzled at her neck, kissing gently at her skin. 

"I don't know what smells nicer, the food, or you."

She turned in his arms, poking at his chest with her finger. "Oh no, you do not get to just turn up and cuddle me while saying sweet things and think I'll forget about the fact that you left me to die with your demonic brothers."

He caught her finger, wrapping his hand around it to protect his chest from her vigorous poking.

"I had every faith that you could handle yourself and them." 

"I could have died on that thing!" 

"You weren't going to die, besides, it was your idea."

She glared at him but as usual he remained unaffected by the epicness that was her death stare.

"Did you have a good day?" He reached around her to snag a spring roll, biting the end off and chewing slowly. 

"Yes, but that's not the point." 

He just grinned at her, the annoying man. She shoved a plate into his hands. "Load up, Star Boy, because I know you haven't eaten today."

He made a face at her but wisely did as he was told, besides, she was right. He hadn't eaten anything, having skipped breakfast and then promptly forgotten once he was in Five. 

She made sure he had enough on his plate, heaping on a bit more rice, before starting her own. She was the last to join them in the couch area, even Grandma had taken a seat and was happily chewing. 

Selene squished herself on the couch next to John and took her first bite. Heaven. 

"Time to see pictures!" Gordon announced loudly.

Her head shot up, glare already forming.

He'd pulled out his phone and suddenly there was her face, filmed at the most unflattering angle imaginable, floating above the coffee table, mouth open in an epic scream. 

"The fuck?" Dickhead! She took out her phone and retaliated with a picture of him with ice-cream on his nose. 

Alan joined in and there on the screen was a picture of her and Gordon in the aquarium, her right in the face of the tour guide and Gordon standing behind her, using her as a human shield, the biggest grin on his face. 

They alternated pictures, one of her and Alan checking out a map sign, Selene with the tarantula and then kissing the snake, Alan and Gordon both tucking into their burgers, her trying to bite some of Alan's candy floss by leaning over his shoulder, Alan and his mega milkshake, Gordon making faces at a large fish, the boys in the line for a ride, the boys on the spinney mushroom ride, Alan asleep on her shoulder with her grinning at the camera, Alan asleep with her and Gordon in shot, Gordon and Selene in the back of the car, one that had obviously come from the last ride - her looking terrified and them laughing and finally Alan climbing the giraffe. 

But the end of it they were all laughing. 

She didn't notice John moving until it was too late. The sound of her screams filled the room and suddenly there they were, her in the middle of the two boys, looking like she wanted to die. 

"You fucker!" she leapt on the one that was supposed to love her, knocking him flat on his back. The same love who was holding his arm up out of the way so she couldn't reach his comm. He'd obviously recorded the whole thing from Gordon's while they had been talking. 

She could hear herself begging him to save her, and then screaming for a divorce. 

Virgil was in fits, barely able to breathe. 

Selene straddled her spaceman, pinning him down as she tried to grab his comm, unfortunately Mr Lean-and-Long had a little height advantage and she couldn't reach. He was laughing, pure joy on his face and she couldn't help but smile too. Who could resist that? She gave up and collapsed down on top of him. 

"You're such a knob."

"See, you should have swapped when you had the chance, you know I'm the better option," Scott grinned, sipping his beer. 

John risked his life to steal a kiss. "You don't want him."

"Debatable," she tried hauling herself up off John, not wanting to squish anything delicate but he wouldn't let her, wrapping his arms around her.

Grandma Tracy, who had been mostly quiet throughout dinner, put down her empty plate and clapped her hands together, making them all jump. 

"So, it looks like you had a good day, but I have one question."

They all looked at her expectantly. 

"When's the wedding?" 

Selene's eyes widened as she and John looked at each other in horror.


	14. Demon Download

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I was given a writing prompt and told it reminded them of Selene. No way would my girl be that dumb, but I knew who would.

"RAHHHHHHHHHHH, I AM DARKNESS, I AM SHADOW, I AM DOOM!" 

"What the holy loving fuck is that?" Gordon yelled at an equally shocked Alan who was madly flipping through their Great-Grandmother's cookbook that lay open on the table. 

"I don't know!" 

"Do something!" 

"I'm trying!" 

The beast screamed again. "WHO DISTURBED MY SLUMBER?" 

"Do something other than that!" 

"I can't, I don't know what we did in the first place!" 

"This is not chicken soup!" 

Alan looked panicked, his eyes wide, feet rooted to the floor as he stared in shock. 

Acting on pure instinct and the self preservation that Jeff Tracy had instilled in all his children, Gordon grabbed his brother's arm and dragged him to the door, pushed him though and slammed it shut behind him. 

A series of loud bangs, the smashing of glass and what sounded like the splintering of wood filtered through the closed door along with the inhuman growls of the creature inside. 

"What do we do?" Alan wailed, clearly terrified out of his mind. He could face down exploding asteroids, bombs on his tail, near death experiences and barely blink but this had scared the life out of him. 

"We have to call someone."

"Scott?" because surely their big brother could handle anything. 

Gordon winced as the door he was leaning against vibrated sharply when something smashed into the back of it. 

"Somehow I don't think Scott is capable of handling this. We need the big guns."

"Selene?" 

Gordon nodded. "Selene."

"On it!" Alan darted off, leaving his brother straining against the force bearing down on him from the other side of the kitchen door. 

***

"Selene!" 

Alan's yell startled her out of her quiet meditation as he barrelled into Virgil's art room where she had taken to hiding out when she needed some peace. She liked the relaxed energy in there, the lovely lightness of the room and the view out over the ocean. 

She opened one eye to look at the smallest Tracy. 

"What's up Rocket Baby?" 

He skidded to a halt, panting with exertion. 

"We have a situation."

"Did John call?" 

Alan made a face, ruffling his fingers through his hair, avoid her gaze. "Uhh, it's not really that kind of a situation. This is more of an at home kind of problem."

Another loud bang echoed from down the hall. 

"What the hell was that?" 

"Alan! Hurry up!" 

"Well, Gordon and I were cooking…"

She leapt to her feet, cursing as she unfolded her legs and they slipped from under her, refusing to take her weight, having been sitting cross legged for so long. Alan caught her as she stumbled. "Oww, pins and needles, pins and needles! No… No I'm good, don't worry, I'll walk it off. Let's go check on your brother."

They raced down the hall, coming to a screeching stop to see Gordon spread eagle across the door, his feet wedged against a dresser and the door frame for stability. 

"Squidward, you OK?" 

"Oh, Selly, thank god. You gotta help us."

Another loud crash came from the kitchen along with a growling that sounded like a wild beast. She sniffed the air, nose wrinkling as the scent of rotten eggs assaulted her nose. 

"Please tell me you were baking and something went pop?" 

Alan shrugged. 

She turned to Gordon. "Tell me what happened, now!"

Gordon sidestepped the door, still holding onto the handle. "We were making soup, just like the recipe book said and there was this bang and then…" he swung the door open. 

She peeked her head inside and blinked, ducking quickly back out again. "You summoned a fucking demon?" she hissed, unable to believe what she was seeing. "How in the ever loving fuck?" 

"We don't know!" 

"How do we get rid of it?" 

She sighed, about to speak when the demon started raging again. Annoyed she banged on the door with her first. "Shut the hell up in there!" 

She turned back to the boys. 

"You don't get rid of a demon that you summoned, they are bought through for a reason and until they fulfil that purpose they won't leave, most can't leave, they are tied to you."

"It won't leave?" Gordon chewed his bottom lip anxiously. 

"Calm down, OK, I'm gonna fix this. Now, which one of you spilled your blood?" They both looked blank. "One of you cut yourself?" Sheepishly they both held up a bandaged finger. 

She just shook her head in disbelief. "You boys need a minder, how you ever survive a rescue, I literally don't know." 

She stomped over to the door and opened it, spearing the demon with a glare. She waved a hand, conjuring a circle around it, freezing it where it stood. It growled menacingly, but the overall scariness was ruined by the fact that it was standing on its hind legs, its body that of a lion, but with the head of a donkey. Looking like a weird Sphinx version of Bottom. "Bitch, don't test me." 

She went over to the book and flipped through it, rolling her eyes when she saw the page. "Alan! Gordon! Get in here!" 

They peeked around the door, horror filled eyes locked on the demon. She beckoned to them and they scuttled over, giving the snarling beast a wide berth. 

She pointed at the book. "This page, what did you do?" 

Gordon peered at the page as if seeing it for the first time. 

"What did you do?" she repeated. 

"We didn't do anything, we just translated the recipe on our comm to get the ingredients and read out the directions as we went," Alan was brave enough to speak up. 

"You read it out loud?" 

"Yeah, we were reading it to each other, though it wasn't translating too well on our comms so we just read that out and made a guess."

She facepalmed so hard she almost knocked herself out. "Sweetheart, that's ancient Greek. Do you know Greek?" 

He shook his head. "We thought it was French soup. Is it not?" 

She sighed. "No, darling, it's really not. You basically mixed up a summoning potion and said the words at the same time as you probably chopped at your finger."

Gordon made a face. "That sounds possible," he hedged. 

She was forever looking after this family! How had they coped without her? 

"Right you," she pointed at the demon. "I'll free you on two conditions, one, you show me your human form because you're freaking out my brothers and two, you give me your word that you won't attack us. Deal?" 

The demon had been padding the air with his giant lions paws, trying to find a weak spot in the circle she had conjured around him, but had soon given up. Now he nodded. A blinding red light encircled the beast, seeming to glow from inside it as its form began to ripple and shift, the fur peeling back to reveal smooth skin, the body straightening, shrinking down until a very naked and very well endowed man stood there. 

Selene blinked. "Valefor?"

Alan gaped at her. "You know the demon?" 

"Of course she does," Gordon drawled, what else could have happened? 

"It is I."

Selene grinned. "Selene, you remember, we met three years ago at Zagan's Samhain party."

The demon's voice dropped to a more human level, its tone suddenly less terrifying and more surfer dude hippy. Its penis, which was tattooed with snake scales and twitched as if it were alive, suddenly hissed. Selene politely ignored it. 

"Shit, girl. Yeah, that was one hell of a party, man. How you been?"

She shrugged. "Oh, you know, can't complain. Met a really nice guy, inherited some brothers, the usual. What have you been up to?"

"Sweet, sis, sweet. I've been busy, you know, granting some wishes, harvesting some souls, the worse the world gets the more people call on us." He rubbed his hands together in glee. 

"Val, could you maybe put on some pants? I don't think my guys are that comfortable, you know with the whole snake dick thing." She waved a vague hand towards his crotch at which Alan was staring. 

"Oh, yeah, sorry," the demon snapped his fingers, his nakedness suddenly covered by a sharp pinstripe suit that had gone out of fashion more than a hundred and fifty years ago. His hair was slicked back and shiny like someone had greased it. He looked like he should be carrying a tommy gun and have a cigar clenched between his teeth. 

"Nice," Selene nodded, "always good to stick with the classics."

The demon preened. "Oh, you know, thought I'd make a bit of an effort."

Alan nudged Gordon who jumped and cleared his throat. "Yeah, looks good."

The demon smiled, its sharply pointed teeth betraying its human like appearance. "Thanks little human dude."

"So, Val, not that it's not great to see you again, but why are you here?" 

The demon frowned. "You know, I'm not sure, sis. I mean, lowly mortals such as these shouldn't have been able to summon me."

Selene pondered this for a moment, flicking back through the cookbook, muttering to herself about latent genes and psychic powers. 

"Erm, Sel?" 

"Hum?" she glanced up at Gordon who was tugging lightly on her sleeve. 

"Can we just deal with the what, not the why?" 

"Oh, yeah, sure, sorry." She closed the book and turned back to the demon. 

"Val, what's the minimum we can do to fulfil your summoning? Help a girl out."

The demon appeared to think about this. "Well, I'd have to at least have a sacrifice."

Alan whimpered and she pulled him closer into her arms, hugging him tight. Gordon shuffled closer, either to defend her or use her as a shield, he wasn't entirely sure yet, though she didn't seem to be too phased. 

"One for both or one each?" 

"Has to be one each, sis, them's the rules, two bloods, two sacrifices."

She nodded. "Makes sense. OK. But you'll sort out the mess in here before you go, 'cause you kinda trashed the joint."

The demon rubbed the back of its neck, looking as contrite as an evil being could. "Yeah, sorry about that, when I realised I wasn't bound to a circle I got a little carried away, didn't want them to think they could just summon us willy nilly. Wanted to scare them a bit."

"Sounds legit."

"Sounds legit?" Gordon echoed, unable to believe what he was hearing. His almost sister-in-law was chatting to a demon they had accidentally conjured, like they were at one of Penelope's garden parties. Honestly, you couldn't make this up. "Are you honestly agreeing to sacrifice us?" 

She glared at him. "Seriously? Did you actually just ask me that?" She turned away with a huff. "See if I help next time you summon something from hell."

Alan punched his brother on the arm, making him yelp. 

"Val, what kind of value are we talking here? Can you cut me some slack?" 

The demon made that teeth sucking noise that a repairman made just before he told you what was wrong and how much it was going to cost you. 

"Enough to make them suffer for at least a week."

Selene appeared to contemplate this. "Deal."

"What?" Gordon spluttered, horrified. 

"I thought you loved us!" Alan's voice screamed betrayal. 

"Shhh you two. A deals a deal. Right," she pointed at Gordon. "You, go get your favourite shirt, that one that Penny said brought out the colour in your eyes." His mouth dropped open. "And you," she pointed at Alan, "that new game you got last week, the one you earned by helping Grandma with her bake sale. Go, scoot."

She shoved them both towards the door, ignoring their muttering as they slunk away to fetch their prized possessions. 

"Brothers eh?" Valefor shrugged. 

She made a face. "Yeah, but they're so cute and I love their brother, so I'm gonna look after them."

The boys shuffled back into the room, closing the door the door behind them. Selene took the items from them and handed them to the demon. 

"Oh, snazzy." He fingered the material of the shirt before tucking the game away into his jacket pocket. "This game sucked anyway little human."

"I wouldn't know," Alan grumbled, having not had time to even unwrap it. 

"We cool then?" 

"Cool, sis." The demon's voice rose to its former fury, booming around the room. "I declare this summoning satisfied."

He held out his hand to them, first raised. Selene nudged the boys, who both slowly, hesitantly, knocked their fist against Valefor's. 

Selene raised her own fist, but held back. "The kitchen?" 

"Right!" the demon snapped his fingers again and the room filled with smoke. Gordon opened a window, choking on the rotten egg fart smell and, when the smoke cleared, the room was as good as new. 

"Dude." Selene bumped fists and then, in perfect sync they devil horned their fingers. "Thanks, love. I owe you one. I'll make sure I send you a bottle of that cherry mead you like."

"Sweet,sis. Peace out." 

The floor below the demons feet opened up and he slowly sank into the ground, the tiles snapping closed over his head. 

The two boys stared at Selene. 

"What just happened?" Alan was the first to regain his voice. 

"I just saved your butts. You're welcome." She helped herself to a bottle of apple juice from the fridge and scooped up the cookbook. 

"Your brothers are never to hear of this." 

They nodded dumbly as she sailed out the door, slurping from the bottle as if she had done nothing more interesting than file her nails. 

Gordon raised an eyebrow at Alan who shrugged back. 

"Hell if I know."


	15. What are you doing here?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An accidentally meeting leads to a memorable night out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is pure fun, coming about from a prompt of "Didn't I kick you out already?".
> 
> Thanks to my fellow thunderwives:
> 
> Bec for the first song choice and Kath for the fact that "his work butt," is now a thing. 
> 
> Note: I wrote this two weeks before the season 3 finale trailer came out, the song choice was a happy accident that became perfect after.

Everyone has different ways of letting off steam after a difficult day, and Scott Tracy was no exception. All his brothers knew was that he took himself off to the mainland somewhere, to one of his regular haunts, hauled up in a bar for a few hours, possibly overnight, and came back feeling a lot better. They all had an idea or two of what he could be up to, but since he was an adult and able to take care of himself, they left him to it. 

It had been one of those days where everything that could go wrong did just that and no one was particularly surprised to hear the all too familiar words from Scott. 

"I'm going out, I'll be back later."

"See ya!" Alan called back. 

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Gordon advised. 

"Stay safe," Virgil requested. 

John didn't say anything because as usual he wasn't there and even if he had been, he'd trust his brother not to be an idiot. 

Scott took one of their smaller civilian planes, landing it at the small, private airfield of Duxford not far from London. As usual they had a car waiting for him to use to take himself into the city. 

He settled himself at the bar and started on the first of many beers, that would loosen him up enough to actually do what he went there for. 

***

Selene wished she was anywhere but here with these people. How had she found the most boring people on the planet? Dinner had been an agonisingly slow affair, made worse by the fact that the curry house they were in didn't sell alcohol. She hated having to cozy up to clients that were like that, just totally not her people. 

"Oh, no thank you, I couldn't eat another bite." She waved aside their offer of dessert, really not wanting to spend any more time there than she had to. "Actually, I really should get going, I've got an early morning tomorrow and I really want to get started on your Natal chart while all your information is fresh in my head." Translation: your boring bullshit has melted my brain into a puddle and I have to escape before my boyfriend has to fake an emergency and rescue me. 

She shook hands with them both -the most average, middle class, middle aged, beige couple you could imagine- and with many assurances that she would send their charts and personality profiles (should be easy enough since they didn't seem to have one to share between them) by the end of the week, and hightailed it out of the restaurant like the hounds of hell were on her heels. 

She took a deep breath of the pollution heavy air, tipping her head back to look up at the sky, but in London there was zero chance she would ever spot the tiny bright light that was Five up in orbit. But, as was her custom, she still blew a kiss upwards to her spaceman, just because. 

It was a chilly night and she pulled her coat closer as she began to walk. It was still early and she didn't really feel like heading straight home, her apartment was lovely and while it was home, recently it had begun to feel very quiet and empty after the constant noise and chaos that was Tracy Island. 

Her feet took her in the direction of one of her old haunts, Camden, where the bars were friendly, the music was loud and the drinks were strong. It was just the place for a witch to kill some time, you never knew who you might bump into. She was the type of person that always knew someone somewhere. 

She wandered along past the now closed market and deeper into the social hub that was Camden Town. She looked around, debating. What did she fancy? She cocked her head to one side, notes of music catching her attention. Huh, she liked that song. Following her ears she pushed her way through the crowds that seemed to be a permanent fixture and located the pub she was looking for. 

A flashing neon light in the window caught her attention as she pushed open the door. "Karaoke, this should be good for a laugh."

She wound a path through the very full tables that were scattered here and there towards the bar. 

To her delight she recognised the barman, someone she'd known from years ago back in Essex (yes she'd gone up in the world) and passed a pleasant few minutes catching up while he made her a tequila sunrise. 

The singer that had been slowly killing a Bon Jovi classic finally stopped her torturing of their ears. The crowd clapped politely, but then burst into genuinely appreciative applause. 

"Oh, they sound popular," she remarked, not bothering to turn around as Clive slid her glass across the bar. 

"Yeah, he's a bit of a hit that one. Damn good looking and has one hell of a set of pipes on him. I wouldn't kick him out of bed for eating biscuits, I can tell you." 

Selene giggled, saluting him with her glass. "You dog! Still not settled down yet then?" 

Clive grinned. "Oh, I have, but I can window shop. It's just a shame he doesn't come in that often, apparently he had a busy job and has to travel a lot. So, what about you, you still a single pringle?" 

Selene smiled, immediately picturing John. 

"Oh, that's a happy look," Clive waggle his eyebrows as the music started, something she recognised. He was right, the dude singing along to Judas Priest's Evening Star was good. 

"Yeah, I-" she trailed off as something caught her attention. That voice, it sounded so familiar… she turned to look at the stage. 

"Scott?" Damn, that boy could sing! Who knew? She had never even heard him humming around the Villa, even though the others all did. She often heard Gordon singing from the shower or Alan humming along while Virgil played, even John was known to quietly sing along to a song when he thought no one was watching. But not Scott. Did anyone else know about this? 

"Wait, you know him?" 

She turned back to Clive. "Yeah, that's my kinda brother-in-law." 

Clive whistled, beginning to laugh. "And you didn't know he was here?" 

"No! I wasn't even supposed to be here but I had a client dinner not too far away and thought I'd stop off for a drink on my way home." 

"Oh shit, this is gonna be interesting."

She turned back to watch the eldest Tracy as he owned the stage, commanding the audience's attention as he did everything else in his life. With total confidence. 

"What's he drinking?" 

"Same as always, a bottle of Bud and a whiskey chaser."

She nodded. "Wait until he gets back, then tell him someone bought him a drink, I'll wait down there." She ordered another for herself and tapped her thumb on the paypoint before making herself scarce. 

Scott finished up his turn and, after putting his name back on the list, headed to the bar. Clive already had his drinks waiting but waved away his thumb when he tried to pay. 

"Already paid for."

Scott frowned, who could have done that, were they even safe to drink? He gingerly picked up the glass and subtly sniffed its contents. 

"Who?" 

Clive pointed down the bar and Scott turned to look. 

"Fuck."

Selene grinned, raising her glass in greeting. 

Scott dropped his head into his hands, he was doomed. He'd never hear the last of this from his brothers. 

Selene scooted off her stool and hopped up next to him. 

"Sup, bro?" 

The look on his face said he was praying for death. 

"How much is this gonna cost me?" 

"Dude, you insult me. You see my face? I'm insulted. As if I'd ever do that to you, you're my backup boyfriend."

"Fine, what do you want?" 

She shook her head sadly. "So used to dealing with brothers. Who said I wanted anything? I was the one that got you a drink."

He gave her a look that said he clearly didn't believe her. 

"OK, two things."

He sighed, sipping his whiskey for strength.

"I get to share your turn and I pick the song."

He raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?" That was all she wanted? 

"Yep," she sipped her drink. 

"You won't tell anyone?" 

"Of course not, no one else needs to know. What you do in your free time is your business."

He sighed with relief, starting on his beer. "Thank you."

"No worries. I got choo boo."

***

Scott was three beers down to her one cocktail by the time his name, Alan apparently, was called. She gave him a look, trying not to laugh as he made his, now slightly unsteady, way to the tiny raised platform that was serving as a stage. 

She took control of the tablet controlling the sound system and picked their song. 

"What did you choose?" If she'd picked something girly and ridiculous his reputation would be in tatters.

"You'll see!" she grabbed the microphone in preparation. "You hit the first verse, I'll do the second and we'll both slam the chorus."

The opening bars hit and he smiled. OK, so maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. 

She nudged him with her elbow. How dare he doubt her. He looked comfortable in that loose limbed, casual strut kinda way he had, like he knew he'd got this shit. He raised his mic to his lips and began to sing. 

"We're leaving together,  
But still it's farewell  
And maybe we'll come back  
To earth, who can tell?  
I guess there is no one to blame  
We're leaving ground  
Will things ever be the same again?" 

She joined in with the chorus and he couldn't help but wince. She couldn't even see the notes let alone hit them. Singing was definitely not one of her talents. 

When she sang her verse he held his breath, hoping the audience wouldn't be too mean to her. 

"We're heading for Venus  
And still we stand tall  
'Cause maybe they've seen us  
And welcome us all, yeah  
With so many light years to go  
And things to be found  
I'm sure that we'll all miss her so." 

She had more keys than a locksmith, her pitch was patchy and all over the place, and at one point she sounded like a cat with its tail stuck in a door, but none of that mattered. 

He joined in with the chorus and she grabbed his hand, bouncing him on the spot.

"The final countdown, ohhh  
It's the final countdown  
The final countdown  
The final countdown  
The final countdown" 

She sang as she did everything else, with total confidence and endless energy. She bounced around, air guitared using his arm as the guitar, strumming hard and was clearly having the best time. It didn't matter that she sounded awful, she really didn't get a shit. 

"It's the final countdown  
We're leaving together  
The final countdown  
We'll all miss her so  
It's the final countdown  
It's the final countdown  
Oh  
It's the final countdown" 

By the time they finished they were both panting, laughing so hard they could barely stand up and the audience were on their feet, cheering their efforts. 

Drinks were waiting at the bar, provided by a generous patron and they gulped for several seconds without stopping. 

"Damn, you got moves, boy." 

He chucked. "Yeah, you aren't too bad yourself."

"I think we're the stars of the night. Maybe we should do an encore some other time."

"Yeah," he nodded. "I think I'd like that."

Selene lent over the bar, checking out the snacks. Scott seemed a little worse for wear and she was hoping that if she could get him to eat something it might soak up a little of the alcohol currently assaulting his system. 

She heard the crack a second before the searing pain took hold. "Owww! What the fuck?" 

She span around, hands clutching her backside. 

A man stood there, a pleased as fuck grin on his face. 

"Hey, sexy, nice moves out there, wanna come and sit on my lap and give me a private performance?" 

"Did you just smack my -" 

Scott came out of nowhere, pushing her behind him. 

"Oh, big man are you? No harm done, mate, I don't mind sharing, or is she your girlfriend or something?"

"Worse," Scott's voice had lowered to nothing more than a growl. "She's my brother's. And no one fucks with my family."

Scott's fist was suddenly up close and personal with the man's jaw, knocking him flying backwards to crash to the ground. People in the crowd screamed, patrons scooting back out of the way, while others started cheering, picking sides. 

Chaos erupted around them as her currently unconscious assaulter's friends attempted to dog pile Scott. They leapt at him but he managed to roll out of the way of one, although another landed on his legs, pinning him down as he started flailing his arms in an attempt to hit Scott, who was managing to block almost every blow. 

Selene dived out of the way, not wanting to catch a stray punch or kick. Out of the corner of her eye she saw his attackers friend decided to have another go while Scott was occupied. 

"Oh no you don't you fucker!" Selene lashed out, punting the dude firmly between his legs, grabbing his head as he doubled over, bringing her knee up to smash into his nose. 

"Never attack my brother!" She grabbed her bag, swinging it at the one still on Scott, smacking him around the head as she launched herself at his back, trying to drag him away. 

Scott took full advantage of the distraction, managing to land a few good hits even though his left eye was already starting to swell and his nose was bleeding. 

"Wanker," Selene screamed as hands grabbed her and hauled her off the man. She went swinging, flailing like a mad woman as she tried to kick the man that had hurt Scott. "I'll kill you!" She attempted to elbow whoever it was that had hold of her but failed. "Let me go!" 

"Stop moving and I will." She glanced over her shoulder, realising that she was being held by one of the bouncers and instantly relaxed, looking as innocent as possible. He didn't look like he was buying it. 

Another bouncer had hauled the man off Scott and was shoving him and his friends towards the door. 

"Good, toss those twats out!" She was so angry. 

"You too, out!" 

"What? But they started it!" She shook off the bouncer and reached for Scott, who was getting slowly to his feet. "Look what they did to him!" 

"Your friend here threw the first punch."

"Yeah, because he slapped my arse."

"Well we didn't see that, all we saw it this guy swinging. So out."

"That's bullshit!" 

"You'd allow him to get away with slapping my sister?" Scott had decided to join in, once again trying to tuck her behind him and insert himself between her and any perceived danger. 

"It was only her backside, it's not like he hurt her, now out you go, come along like a good lad."

And for the second time in less than five minutes Scott's fist made contact with a hard jaw. 

"No!" she tried to shove her way between them but Scott was still rather drunk and stumbled when his arm was grabbed and yanked up behind his back. 

"Get off him!" Selene swung her bag at the bouncer holding her boy but he dodged it. 

"Out, both of you, you're barred!" 

They were marched out of the bar and unceremoniously shoved outside. Scott sagged, wobbling on his feet and she grabbed his arm to keep him upright. 

"Woah, big guy, let's get you something to eat and maybe some coffee."

"No! I'm fine, I'm good. Drink…lets get a drink. More drink! Bartender!" 

"Erm…babe, we're on the street, there's no drink here. Or a bartender for that matter."

He looked around, squinting slightly as if seeing it for the first time. "We are? There's not? Oww." His big hand came up to cradle his face. "Why does my face hurt?" 

"You walked into a door."

"I did?" he weaved a little on the spot and grinned. "Bet I kicked its ass!" 

"Yeah you did! Knocked its handle right off."

"Taught that door a lesson it won't forget."

"Yes you did."

"Then I deserve a drink!" For someone that had drunk as much as he had he was quick on his feet when he wanted to be. 

"Scott! Get back here!" 

She groaned as she raced after him, catching up as he dived into another bar. 

***

"F…f….f…."

"Fluffernut?"

She shook her head…teeth chattering. 

"F…frog?"

"No...oope."

"Flatulence?" 

"No." She ducked under his arm, cuddling up to his side for warmth . "What was I saying?" 

Scott shrugged almost knocking her over. "Fucked if I know."

"Fuck! That's it. FUCK IT'S COLD OUT HERE!" She smiled proudly. "I remembered. Praise me."

"Good job." He pulled back to look at her, blinking a few times in an effort to focus. "Were you wearing a jacket?" 

"Jacket?" What was a jacket? Jacket…that was a funny word. "Jahhhkeeet." She began to giggle then suddenly stopped, mouth morphing into a pout. "I was! I had one."

They both looked at the karaoke bar in disgust. 

"They stole your jacket."

"Son of a bitch! How dare they! We have to get it back, Scott, we have to. I can't live without it!" 

He nodded, trying to look serious but not succeeding. "We have a…" he paused, clearly stuck having lost his train of thought. 

"A problem," she supplied. 

He frowned. "That doesn't sound right…"

"Never mind that. I need my jacket, my precious precious beautiful jacket."

He nodded again, his head wobbling dangerously. "I shall rescue your jacket from its captors if it's the last thing I do!" 

"My hero!" 

Their plan was simple, she would distract, he would sneak. He could sneak, he assured her, he was a professional. She believed him, because he was her spare boyfriend and he would never let her down. 

Distraction, she could do that, she could be distracting, she did it every day without even meaning to…but then that was John and that sometimes involved getting naked, so maybe that wasn't the best idea. 

"You don't want to see my boobs, do you?" she asked the bouncer. It was best to be sure because that wasn't going to happen and she didn't want to waste her time. 

"What?"

"My boobs. You aren't expecting to see them are you? Because I don't think my spaceman would like that."

"Spaceman?" the bouncer could feel a headache coming on, it had been a long night already. "Why would I want to see you tits?" 

"Because they're banging, even if I say so myself." 

The bouncers eyes slipped down to her chest, she looked vaguely familiar. 

"Are you looking at my boobs?" she cupped the twins. "I just told you you can't do that!" 

The bouncer was losing patience. "Listen lady, I didn't want to see them, you asked if I wanted to. Why would you do that if you didn't want me to look?" 

Selene gave him a look that said he was being particularly dense. "Because I need to distract you and I didn't want to have to use my boobs! Why else?" 

The bouncer shifted away from the wall he had been leaning against, standing upright. "Why would you need to dis- hang on, didn't I kick you out already?" 

"Yes, but-"

"Out!"

"Jacket!" 

"Jesus lady, don't scream!" 

"Jacket! Come home jacket!" 

"What are you on about?" 

"Scoottttttt, jacket!" 

"Who… URGHH" the bouncer stumbled forward as Scott shot out of the bar behind him, running like his life depended on it, her jacket clutched under one arm like a football. 

"Jacket!" she launched herself at him, leaping onto his back, her arms around his neck, clinging like a spider monkey as he dashed off. 

***

"OK then."

John stated at the ridiculous sight that had greeted him when he let himself into his girlfriend's apartment. 

She was there, which he had expected, but that was where the normalness ended. 

She was passed out on the couch, her legs over his brother who was sleeping the deep slumber of the very drunk. His head was tipped back, his mouth open and he was snoring loudly, probably caused by both the alcohol and the puffy state of his nose, no doubt having happened at the same time as his swollen eye. He had one foot on the couch and the other on the floor, pillowed on a half eaten and very squashed kebab. There was a chair close to the couch and it appeared to be dressed in her leather jacket. 

"I don't even want to know." He pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of the pair, trying not to laugh at the absurdity of the situation. 

He reached over to take the bag of chips away from Selene, who had them clutched tightly to her chest like they were her most precious possession. She grumbled in her sleep and smacked at his hand. He ignored it, much as he did almost everything else she did. 

So much for his hopes of a quietly comfortable nights sleep with his love. Well, she couldn't stay there. 

Carefully he eased one arm under her legs and another behind her back, rolling her into his arms as he lifted her off his brother. He carried her to bed and removed her shoes and jeans, tucking her in, before fetching her a glass of water and a bucket from under her kitchen sink. 

That little evil streak that everyone had when it came to their siblings raised its head, telling him to just leave his brother to suffer, but John was above that sort of thing.

He dragged Scott's legs up onto the couch and settled him more comfortably before tidying away their food and leaving the wastepaper basket by the couch along with a bottle of water from the fridge.

He had no idea how they had ended up together, or how they had managed to get themselves in such a state but they would be paying for it tomorrow, their hangovers were going to be the stuff of legends.

Chuckling to himself he settled in bed beside his girl, spooning up behind her, smiling when she wiggled closer in her sleep, mumbling his name.

He hugged her tighter, her sleepy little sigh making his heart warm even more. 

"I love you, crazy lady."

"Love you too."

She turned her head, wanting a kiss. 

"You're drunk."

"I am not!" 

He kissed her softly and she purred happily, leaning back against his chest, her bottom wiggling closer into his lap. 

"Definitely drunk."

"Slightly tipsy," she countered. "Mmm, you feel so good right now." She nuzzled his chin, loving the slight stubble that dusted his jaw. 

"Is this drunken horniness? Should I be insulted that you only want me because you've been out with my brother?" 

"No, I want you all the time." She rolled over to face him, sliding her arms around his waist, smiling happily when she realised he was only wearing boxers. "Mmm skin." She kissed his chest just above his heart. "Do you know just how sexy you are, Space Man? 

"No. Are you going to tell me?" He was finding this highly amusing. 

She nodded seriously. "Yes, yes I am. You are so incredibly sexy, just mind blowingly gorgeous. I mean…" she let her hands wander the terrain of his chest. "Ooof, baby."

"Ooof? Well that's definitely something every man aspires to be."

"You're so ooofy." 

"Anything else you wish to add?" 

"Yes. You butt makes me want to bite it."

His lips twitched as he tried to hold in a smile. "Bite it?" 

"Yes, because I seem to spend half my life watching it while you're floating around in front of me. And it's very, very tempting. It's unfair of you really."

"Oh yes, very unfair I'm sure. How dare I keep it right there. I must do it on purpose."

"You do. And your chest is there just to taunt me. One man should not be that hot. It should be illegal."

"Well, I shall try my hardest to not be as attractive to you."

"Thank you." She snuggled back into his arms, lying quietly for so long he was sure she'd fallen asleep again. 

"It's no good, I can't sleep."

He opened his eyes to look at her. She was staring up at him. 

"I love your eyes."

"Is there anything you don't love?" 

She nodded. 

"And that is?" 

"The fact that you aren't kissing me."

"That is something that is easily remedied."

His lips found hers in a gentle kiss that melted her heart. He kissed her again, lips parting just enough that she could tease the tip of his tongue with hers. She moaned softly. This was the good shit. 

"I love your lips," she mumbled against his mouth. His control broke and he started to laugh.


	16. Stars and Moon pt 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuletide celebrations are coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my infinite wisdom I thought that it would be a good idea to post these chapters on the actual day they are set. So look forward to one each day for the next five days. Obviously I'm completely insane to attempt this.

"You promise you haven't told anyone about this?" 

Penelope shook her head. 

"Of course I haven't, you asked me not to. And really, it's none of my business, is it?" 

John smiled, tucking the package away in his pocket. "Of course it's your business, you're part of our family just as any of us are."

"Well that's very nice of you to think so. Will you have some tea with me before you return?" 

He nodded, taking a seat on the sofa opposite her. "Sure, tea would be nice."

She smiled, picking up the pot to pour. "I'll be mother, and while I pour you can tell me all about your plans."

***

Selene stood in front of her wardrobe, naked apart from a towel wrapped around her wet hair. What did one wear when they didn't know where they were going? John had simply told her to be ready to go by five. She'd told him the week before that it was winter solstice soon and that she was planning on attending a local event but he had persuaded her to cancel her plans and let him take her somewhere instead. 

John, in typical John fashion, had been researching everything there was to know about paganism, asking her endless questions about her beliefs and what she did, finding it fascinating. So she trusted him when he said that he had it handled. They were spending Christmas at the Island as a family, so this was just for them. 

"How to be vague the John Tracy way," she grumbled as she pulled on some underwear, snapped her bra closed and glared at her clothes rail again. 

In the end she went with casual and simple, jeans, a vest top and a NASA hoodie she'd stolen from him months ago. 

She'd just finished drying and braiding her hair when her doorbell chimed. She rarely got visitors, she shared a little office space in a friend's shop for readings or did them via video call. She glanced at the clock, seeing it was precisely 5pm. Like she'd ever doubted he'd be on time. 

She swung open the door, eyes closed and lips puckered ready for one of those perfect spaceman kisses but got a nose full of perfume instead. She opened her eyes to a world filled with white. She stumbled back a few steps and the world came back into focus. 

A bunch of flowers, consisting of white roses, night blooming jasmine and tiny white buds had been up close and personal with her face. 

"Wow, OK."

The flowers moved out of range as he reached out a hand to steady her. "Sorry, wasn't intentional."

"Never thought it was." She rose to her tiptoes to steal a kiss since apparently none were forthcoming on their own. 

She received a little peck but then the bouquet was back. 

"Thank you," she cradled them in her arms. "What did I do to deserve these? Or what did you do wrong to need them?" she smiled to show she was joking and stepped aside to let him in while she went to fetch a vase. 

"Can't a man bring his woman flowers without an interrogation?" 

"Of course he can, they're beautiful, I love them."

She placed the vase of flowers on the coffee table where she'd be able to see them all the time then slipped her arms around his waist.

Her man was looking particularly good, casual in jeans and a shirt that was just as soft and fine as it looked, in a pale lilac colour that seemed to enhance both the colour of his eyes and his neatly styled hair. Her fingers itched to mess it up, to run through the silky strands and drag him down for a kiss. 

"Do we have to go or can I tempt you to let me have my wicked way with you in bed? Or on the floor? The sofa? Anywhere really, I'm not fussy."

He rolled his eyes dramatically. "You always do this, you start tempting me whenever I make plans for us."

"Do I get to know these plans?" 

"No," he kissed her softly. "I have plans, but you don't need to know them yet. So stop trying to seduce me."

She pouted. "Fine, but I reserve the right to seduce you later, because I haven't seen you properly for almost two weeks and I've missed you, and not just the fun zone bits either."

"Noted. Now, grab your stuff and let's get going."

"Yes, sir." She took his offered hand and grabbed her bag with the other, slamming the door behind them. 

***  
"And you still won't tell me where we're going?" 

"Nope," the maddening man responded, relaxing back in his seat. 

He had led her up to her rooftop garden where his elevator sat waiting for them. She'd assumed that they were going to go somewhere in her car but he obviously had other ideas. 

He'd pointed to a duffle bag beside his seat, explaining that he'd packed for them both from the clothes she'd left scattered on both Five and back at base. 

Yet he wouldn't tell her why they needed a change of clothes or where they were going.

She scowled from her spot in the fold down passenger seat but as always he ignored her, concentrating on inputting their destination. First up to Five and then, once it had moved to their new location, back down to earth again. 

The first thing she noticed was the cold. Her hoodie just wasn't cutting it and she immediately began to shiver. He grabbed their bag and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, guiding her out of the elevator. Ahead of them was a small cabin, set against a beautiful backdrop of a snow topped woodland. 

"Wow, that's…damn."

"Is this winter solstice enough for you?" 

"Hell yeah!" she flung her arms around his neck , giving him the biggest hug in the history of hugs. "You, are amazing."

"I know."

"Modest too."

He grinned at her. "I got that from you. Now, go do your witchy thing, you have an hour where I won't disturb you and then you're all mine for the entire night at least, longer if IR stays quiet."

"Oh, now that is an offer I would be mad to refuse."

***

Performing a winter ritual in the middle of a snowy forest was the stuff of dreams for her. It rarely, if ever, snowed in England and when it did it was wet, slushy rubbish that immediately got dirty and yuck. 

Here the air was crisp and clear, freezing cold but so fresh you could feel each breath tingling in your lungs. She'd lit a few candles and some incense but used nothing else, it wasn't needed. There was nature all around her, the sound of distant water from a small spring, the earth solid under her feet and the air all around her. Coupled with her addition of fire and she was set. She wasn't a fancy witch, she hardly ever used tools if she could help it, she preferred to connect with the earth on the most basic of levels. 

She could feel the energy pulsing through her body, like a low level hum that emanated from the ground, buzzing through her body like a small electrical current. 

She laid out the small wooden discs she was charging with all the good stuff she would raise that evening and got to work. 

She communed with those above her, those who had gone before, and the elements themselves, welcoming back the sunlight and the warmth. 

By the time she had finished she was so cold she could barely feel her limbs and she was shivering harshly. She wanted nothing more than to curl up with her amazing boyfriend and spend time with him. 

Said boyfriend was noticeably absent in the cute little cabin, although she did take a few minutes to check each room in turn. He couldn't have gone far, as was customary he had sent his elevator back to Five so as not to pose a danger to any aircraft that might be in the vicinity. 

"John?" 

"Out here!" 

She followed his voice to the back of the cabin and stopped dead. 

"There's a freaking hot tub?" 

Her awesome as fuck man was lounging in the warm water, head tilted back to rest against the padded sides of the tub, his wet hair swept back from his forehead. 

He turned to face her, a dazzling smile lighting up his face and once again she felt a wave of emotion hit her like a punch to the gut. How was it possible that she loved him so damn much? 

"Well, you keep complaining that my 'bird doesn't have a bath tub, so I thought you might appreciate this. Join me?" 

She didn't need asking twice. Despite the cold she started yanking at her clothes, tossing them inside the cottage into the small kitchen. She jogged across the decking and climbed in beside him, sinking gratefully down into the hot water. 

His arm went around her, pulling her in close to his side. She snuggled against him, resting her head on his shoulder with a happy sigh. 

"Have I told you lately, just how much I love you?" 

"No, I don't believe you have."

She turned to face him, sliding her arm around his waist…"Hey, how come you're wearing trunks?" 

He shrugged. "You never stopped long enough to let me tell you that the swimwear you left in my room is over there with the robes."

"Unfair."

"You'll get over it."

She nipped his shoulder lightly in punishment before settling down, closing her eyes as the warmth of the water and his arms chased away the lingering chill in her body. 

"I love you, Space Man."

"I love you too, my witch."

They stayed in the water, quietly chatting, catching each other up on the things they had been up to while apart, while slowly sipping from a bottle of pretty good wine from one of the vineyards that Penelope had invested in. 

Around them the night grew darker, the world seeming to slip into peaceful slumber, all noise muting down to just the sound of their voices and the soft trickling of the hot tub water. The light pollution was practically zero especially after John pressed a button on the side of the tub that turned off all the lights on the deck, leaving just the warm glow from the cabin. 

Little pin pricks of starlight appeared here and there, just a few at first, but gradually they expanded to fill the entire sky as far as the eye could see. It was always amazing to see the stars all around them when on Five, but there was just something totally magical about being on earth and looking up into that vast space above and realising that you'd been there, that the universe stretched out before you was seemingly endless. 

She was entirely too comfortable where she was, her head pillowed on his shoulder, that she almost thought she'd begun to drift off, her eyes growing fuzzy. She sat up straighter, not wanting to waste any of her precious time with him by sleeping. She blinked, trying to clear her vision as she watched the sky above the treeline. 

The sky had seemed to lighten a little, a misty haze of greyish clouds slowly forming. It seemed to dance slowly on the breeze, a slow swirling that was hard to make out unless you were focused on it. 

She snuggled closer, hearing the steady, reassuring thump of his heart. 

As she watched the hazy cloud seemed to change, faint green stripes appearing as if someone was shining a laser light down from above. The light seemed to mingle with the clouds, greens and the odd flash of purples and white joining in to create a colourful canvas of lights across the horizon. 

"Is that…"

"The Aurora Borealis? Yes."

"Where are we exactly?" Her eyes were riveted on the celestial light show playing out in front of them. They moved like a wave, ebbing and flowing, twisting and turning in a slow symphony of colours. 

"Alaska."

That explained the cold then. 

"It's beautiful, I've never seen anything more amazing."

"Then I've got a lot left to show you, but, for Earth, it is quite spectacular. I've always liked it here, the stars seem closer somehow."

"They do. I always imagine my ancient ancestors looking up at the same sky, probably with the same wonder as we do."

He nodded, completely understanding.

"Stars are timeless, stars are a beacon anywhere in the world to help you find your way home," he gently cupped her chin, turning her gaze away from the sky to meet his own. "Home is where the heart is and you have my heart, you're my home. And my love for you, just like the stars, will be timeless."

Had any man ever been so perfect? 

"I love you more than I ever thought possible, you fill the part of me that I didn't know was missing. I know I needed rescuing that first time, but I didn't know you'd keep doing it."

"Today is exactly six months since we first met." 

"I know, Summer Solstice, when the day is at its longest, and tonight is Yule, when the night and darkness reign. But then the light shines in the dark, giving you hope, and the sun begins to return."

"Your version of Christmas."

She nodded. 

"I wanted to make it special."

"You did, so special, just perfect."

"I got you a yule gift. I didn't want to make a big deal out of it, so I had it sent to Penny to look after, I didn't want anyone else to know or I'd get too nervous."

She frowned. Nervous? Did he think she wouldn't like this little trip or anything he got her? 

"I didn't want you to think I was rushing you, or wanting something you aren't prepared to give."

He reached behind him, into the pile of clothing he'd left on the side of the tub and pulled out a small box. 

Her eyes widened, her heart thumping in her chest. What was he doing?

"I'm not trying to force anything on you, I know it's probably too soon and I know that you said witches don't do it, I'm just asking that you agree to consider, one day in the future, the possibility..."

He stopped babbling to carefully flip open the lid, revealing a stunningly delicate silver band on which a glittering crescent moon sat, a rough black stone in the center forming the body of the moon with tiny diamonds outlining it. A small diamond studded star nestled just inside the curve of the moons body. It was gorgeous, and so very unique and lovely. She stroked it gently with the tip of one finger, tears welling up. 

She looked from the ring to her love, seeing the panic and fear of rejection in his gorgeous eyes.

"Is this your version of a proposal?" 

"Well…it's a request…I guess…I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you." Had he fucked this up so badly that he'd make her cry? Had she really been serious when she said she didn't want to get married? 

She took his free hand in hers, bringing it to her lips to kiss his knuckles, tucking it in close to her heart. 

"Ask me properly."

She wanted him to ask again? Why was she prolonging the torture? Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Damn it, he loved her, and he wanted to do something to prove that, to show the world that she was his. He wasn't ashamed or scared of how he felt about her. 

She heard him swallow, saw his hand shaking where he held the box out to her, but his voice was strong when he finally spoke. 

"Will you marry me? Be my wife?" 

Her arms were around his neck and her lips on his in seconds. She kissed him with every ounce of love she had in her heart, told him without words just how much she adored him. The tears flowed freely now, wetting his shoulder as she clung to him, the most important thing in her world. 

"Is that a yes?" he tentatively asked. 

"Of course it is," she kissed him again. "Idiot." 

He huffed out a relieved breath, burying his face in her neck. 

"That was the most terrifying thing I've ever done."

"Did you honestly think I'd say no?" 

"I don't know, I hoped that you'd agree to think about it. Every time someone mentioned it you always said no, you were so adamant about it not being something that you would do. I know Grandma has been pushing the subject and I didn't want you to think that I was just going along with it because of that." 

She nuzzled his cheek, hugging him tightly. 

"Well, I've never done things the conventional way. Look how we met, and look at us now, who else can say they were proposed to while naked?" 

He made an apologetic face. 

"The naked part wasn't in the original plan. I just wanted this to be about us, not the rest of my family, which is why I didn't tell anyone but Penelope what I'd planned, and even then I didn't tell her what I wanted to ask you, just that it was a gift. At best I'd hoped it would be a promise ring."

"I can never say no to you."

He snorted. "You say no to me all the time."

"Not when it matters, so, can I have my ring now?" 

"Shit! Yes! Sorry, I should have done that already. I'm obviously not very good at this."

"Well I'd worry if you'd had lots of practice."

He ignored that comment to carefully pluck the ring from the box's padded depths, tossing the box away over his shoulder, then slipped it gently onto her finger, taking her hand in his to admire it. 

"Beautiful," he turned her hand over, bringing it to his lips, kissing the soft skin of her inner wrist, loving the way she shivered. He did it again, feeling her pulse thumping with each beat of her heart.

"I love it almost as much as I love you."

"I sincerely hope that is a lot," he entwined their fingers, feeling the band of her ring pressing against his skin. 

"Don't make me bite you."

There was that devastating grin again. "Is that a promise?" 

She slid onto his lap, her thighs either side of his hips, chest to chest. 

"I have a few conditions."

"For biting?" 

"No," she nipped his shoulder lightly. "For getting married. No letting Grandma take over, we take our time, do it when we want to, a long engagement is fine. Quiet, small and intimate is key here. And I don't want anything indoors. I want outside, maybe on the beach, a proper pagan handfasting, our own vows and then we can do something boring and legal after. Maybe see if one of the boys want to get ordained to perform it themselves. What are the rules of a private island? Do you get the same kind of allowances that a ships captain does? All, I'm in charge here, this is my vessel and I deem you husband and wife?"

He blinked, clearly wondering just how her brain had jumped from demands to that weird question. 

"Pagan wedding, fine with me, quiet and intimate makes me love you even more, no idea about the rules of the island as we've never had to think about it before."

She shrugged. "We have time."

He wrapped his arms tighter around her middle, hugging her close. "Are you happy?" 

She pulled back to look at him, studying his face. "Of course I am, why did you think I wouldn't be?" 

"I don't know, I guess because it wasn't something you'd have thought about."

She sighed, dipping her head down to capture his lips. "Of course I've thought about it, how could I ever not want to be with you forever? I just, I like us being us, you know? I didn't want us to do anything we didn't want to or to please anyone else."

He nodded, understanding that. "That's why I didn't tell anyone about this, it's about us, and I think I'd like to keep it that way, at least for a few days until Christmas. Our secret, just to enjoy it alone for a little while."

"That sounds like a perfect plan, my love."


	17. Stars and Moon pt 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get a little tough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was sent the writing prompt "It's blood, not nuclear waste. Chill out." This is the result. Posted the day its set, 23rd Dec.

"We have a situation." 

John floated beside Selene in the monitoring station pulling up the plans for the resort they were sending Scott, Virgil, Alan and Gordon to. An avalanche had cut off and partly buried the ski lodge at the base of the mountain. 

Scott had touched down first on the safe side of the resort and immediately started to organise the crew on the ground exactly as he would his brothers. 

His first orders was for the staff that were still up and moving to start getting as many holiday makers out as possible. The back entrance of the lodge had, thankfully, remained relatively clear and with a little digging between Scott and two of the ski instructors, they had managed to excavate a pathway from the door to the large hanger where the shuttle sledges were kept when they weren't in use. 

He had the first shuttle full of residents on its way down the mountain to the nearest town just as Virgil began his descent. 

"What's the status, Thunderbird 1?" Virgil's voice came cool and calm through the comms. 

"So far we've managed to locate a large number of holidaymakers who were in the lodge when the avalanche hit, we've got them out and they are being transported to town by the staff that are still on their feet, but according to reports there are still at least twenty people in or around the building on the south side where the snow slide hit. The sheer weight of the snow has partially collapsed part of the building."

"What are you needing?"

"I'm thinking you'll need to assemble a couple of pods to start clearing the snow, leave that to Alan and Gordon, and you can follow me inside to tackle the heavy lifting. We don't know what we'll find in there, so be prepared for anything and bring a full stretcher and med kit."

"FAB."

They scrambled quickly, knowing time was of the essence. The smallest configured a couple of pods to help shift the snow and Virgil donned his exo-suit heading out to meet up with Scott. 

Virgil made his way carefully across the densely packed snow, ducking into the eerie quiet of the lodge's kitchens, the snow muffling all sounds from outside. 

"Scott? Where are you?" Virgil spoke quietly into his comm, as if shouting would be some kind of sin in the silence of the building. 

"Head towards the front of the building, follow the signs for the lounge bar if you can see any. We've got a few walking wounded that have volunteered to stay and help, but there is an unknown number of potential casualties that we are unable to reach."

"FAB, on my way." He broke into a jog, the suit weighed him down but he refused to let it slow his pace, they knew that in their job every second counted. A minute saved could equal a life. 

He navigated a maze of corridors, passing a dining room, a sign for a gym, the pool area and the stairways for the upper floor bedrooms and finally saw a sign for the lounge. The deeper he went into the building the colder and darker it became, the electricity having gone out with the avalanche. 

Finally the sound of murmuring voices and shifting debris reached his ears and he put on a burst of speed, following the noise as it grew louder. 

"Virgil!" 

Scott's voice held just a hint of desperation as he rounded the corner and took in the sight before him. His brother was crouched beside a heavily pregnant woman, who was sobbing uncontrollably. 

"My...my husband…my son, where are they?" 

"Try not to worry," Scott soothed, "we'll do all we can to find them, just concentrate on breathing."

"I'm here!" 

The relief on his brother's face was obvious. "Can you start over there?" he nodded across the hall where the sounds of shouting and falling bricks came loud and clear. 

He nodded and took off, climbing over a mound of concrete, wood and steel that had likely been part of the roof. 

Five men, each in varying degrees of hurt, were digging into a pile of rubble and snow where a wall had previously stood. He got to work, lifting off the heavier wooden beams and chunks of brickwork. 

"I've found someone!" 

Virgil tossed aside part of a door frame and moved to help the man who had called out. There was a hand sticking out of the snow. 

***

"Alan, be careful, there is a life sign two meters to the left of your plow." John was frantically scanning the surrounding area, trying to locate any survivors and direct the boys in the best way to go about moving the snow from the outside as safely as possible. 

"Got it," Alan's reply was terse as the image of his pod stopped on their map and remained that way for several minutes. "Secured." 

The life sign began to move. "Removed from scene, suspected broken collarbone and confirmed ankle fracture. I've left her with the staff that are helping."

"Well done, now you should be clear for another sixteen meters. Gordon?" 

"Yeah, John?" 

"A life sign just blinked out, three meters in front of you."

"On it!" again they saw a pod stop and held their breath until Gordon's voice spoke up. 

"One confirmed dead, massive head trauma."

Selene squeezed her eyes shut, wishing she could be there for them all. It was always hard to hear her boys when they were delivering that kind of news, they had to stay as detached as possible to be able to get on with the job, but when it was Gordon, her sweet, adorable joker, it was the hardest to bear. His voice never quite sounded like his own, not the one she was used to, not the one that always seemed to hold that undertone of cheekiness, and it ripped at her heart. 

"Well done, darlings, you're both doing brilliantly." She knew she was breaking protocol, knew that she wasn't being professional, but she didn't care, they needed to hear it and she would be the one to provide. 

"Life sign detected, eight meters southeast of your current location, Gordon."

Again the pod stopped. "Secured, one male, undamaged as far as we can tell."

They breathed a sigh of relief for him, hearing the change in his tone. 

Another icon beeped into existence, displaying the number 1. John's touch brought it to life. 

"Thunderbird 5? We have a problem down here!" 

***

"It hurts!" 

Scott winced as the lady squeezed his hand hard enough to crack bone. He knew the feeling, if he got out of this without permanent nerve damage it would be a miracle. 

"Breathe, keep breathing."

"It's too soon! It's too soon!" 

"Shock can trigger an early labour, you need to try to stay calm."

"Easy for you to say, you aren't trying to hold in a fucking child!" 

Scott eased away, turning his head to appeal for help, any help at all. 

"Thunderbird 5? We have a problem down here."

"What's happening Scott?" 

"Female, 28 years of age, 36 weeks pregnant, early labour."

"Is there no chance of getting her out?" 

"Not at the moment, she's refusing to leave until we find her husband and son, plus a trip down the mountain wouldn't be advisable."

"Have her waters broken?" 

"Yes, just after the avalanche."

"Contractions?" 

"Down from every 8 minutes to every 4."

"Dilation?" 

"I…I don't know." Scott turned back to the woman who screamed and clamped her legs together. 

"Don't touch me! Don't even come near me! I want Craig!" 

"You have to let me help you."

"No! It wasn't supposed to be this way…urghhh-" she broke off to moan in pain, clutching at her distended belly, panting as the contraction washed over her. 

"Is there no one that can help her? No females present?" 

"Negative, those that were able to be moved have been."

"Kayo?" 

"In dark mode, can't be disturbed."

John groaned, closing his eyes. What the fuck were they supposed to do? All of them had been through paramedic training and knew what to do in almost any situation, but none of them had ever assisted a birth, let alone one in those circumstances and with a less than cooperative patient. 

"I'll go, I've helped at births before."

John's eyes snapped open to glare at her. "No way, I'm not risking you."

"But you'll risk your brothers? Kayo and Penelope?" 

"That's different-" 

"Why?" she cut in. 

"Because that's their job, they're part of International Rescue."

"And I'm not?" her voice was low and dangerous, warning him to tread carefully. 

"John, not that I want to get in the middle of a lovers tiff right now, but we need help, and if Selene is willing to come, then let her, please."

"No!"

"I won't let her get hurt."

"You can't guarantee that, Scott!" 

She grabbed his shoulder, turning him round to face her. 

"John, listen to me. I love you, but either I'm part of your life or I'm not." She waved her hand in his face to remind him of the ring he'd placed there just two days before.

He closed his eyes, gathering her close to his chest. "You know you are."

"Then let me help, let me do what I can, we're long haul, I'm not leaving you, but that woman needs someone she can trust and relate to. So trust me to be able to help her?" 

"John? I'm seriously needing help here…"

John sighed, then he nodded. She went to pull away but he yanked her back, kissing her swiftly. 

"Stay safe, don't take risks," his voice dropped lower so only she could hear him. "You have to come back, we're getting married."

"Love you, Space Man," she whispered back, then raised her voice again. "Let's get your elevator moving, I've got a baby to catch."

***

Selene dashed out of the elevator as soon as it touched down next to Two. She couldn't see the pods as they were working at the front of the resort where the most damage had occurred, but their tracks were clear to see. 

"Where's International Rescue inside?" she called out to the first person she saw, but they didn't bother to acknowledge her, not stopping as they ran past. 

"Twat," she muttered as she hoisted up the spare med kid that John had insisted she take and started towards the back where the most activity was. 

"Hey, miss, you can't go in there! It's too dangerous!" 

"I'm with them!" 

"They don't have any females in the-" 

She rounded on him. "You wanna go? Because we'll go and I'll fuck you up, don't test me. Now where the hell are they?" 

"Just leave it, Bill, if she wants to get herself killed, let her," another man sneered. 

Bill pointed a shaking finger through an open doorway. 

"Thank you."

She hit her wrist comm -having become accustomed to leaving her pendant behind when she was wearing her space suit after it had floated up and smacked her in the face on more than one occasion- and homed in on Scott's signature, following it deeper into the oppressive, silent darkness of the lodge. 

It was freezing cold inside, likely due to the fact that the heating and electricity was out and there was a bloody big hole in the side of the building that was rapidly filling with snow. 

She saw Virgil first, heard the mechanical whine of his exo-suit, accompanied by his strained grunts of effort as he heaved and flipped things out of his way. He was accompanied by three men who were digging through the snow that was pouring in as rapidly as they cleared it. Two more men were sat on the floor, leaning against the remains of a wall, clearly trying to catch their breath. 

She picked her way as carefully as she could over a huge mound of rubble and snow and into what had once been a lovely rustic looking, wood panelled lounge but was now almost unrecognisable, more than half of its insides on the outside, exposed to the wilds of the mountainside. 

Off to the side, laid out as respectfully as possible, were three bodies. She took a second to place a supportive hand on Virgil's shoulder, unable to hug him as she'd like to with his gear on. He turned to look at her, the pain in his eyes clear to see. She kissed his cheek and patted the shoulder she still held. 

"I'm gonna go help Scott before he freaks out even more, but know that I'm here if you need me."

He nodded and she let him go. "He's through there."

"Thanks."

She followed his directions, climbing back over the debris to the other side. Scott had managed to get the woman away from the open roof and tucked into a relatively clear corner. She was propped up against what looked to be a number of couch cushions and covered in a blanket. She was panting heavily, clutching at his hand as she tried to breathe. 

"Hey there, darling, you waiting for me?" 

Scott shot her a look that proclaimed she was an angel sent to earth and moved grateful out of the way. 

Selene squatted down beside the woman. "What's your name, hun?" 

The lady looked up at her with scared eyes, round and full of tears. "Cl...Clare. My name's Clare."

"Hi, Clare, I'm Selene, it's nice to meet you, though obviously better circumstances would have been preferred. But don't worry, I'm here to help. Together we're gonna make sure this little one is safe, OK?" 

Selene took Clare's hand in hers and gave it a squeeze, conjuring up as much calming, healing energy as she could. 

Clare visibly took a breath, her shoulders sagging as she relaxed a little and nodded. 

"That's better. Now, can you tell me what happened? Take your time, in your own words."

Clare gripped on tightly to her hand, her face screwing up in pain as she tried to breathe, another contraction gearing up. 

"Scott, can you try to find something to help her? Doesn't Two have Entonox on board?" 

He nodded and took off at as fast a pace as he could. 

"Keep talking to me, Clare, try to ignore the pain and tell me what happened."

Clare nodded, gasping through the pain, managing to start talking. 

"We were here for Christmas, our last trip before this little one was born…" she paused to squeeze Selene's hand, "I wasn't skiing obviously, but my husband was teaching our son."

"Sounds nice," one handed Selene began to unload everything she thought they might need from the med kit.

"Have they been found? Are they OK?" 

Selene looked up, seeing the panicked look on Clare's face. She didn't know what to say for the best, so in the end she stuck with vague honesty. 

"I don't know, I just got here, but I can assure you that I know my team and they will be doing everything they possibly can to find them and help them if they need it." 

"You promise?" 

"I promise you, one hundred percent, that my boys will be doing everything in their power to help."

"You're close to them then?" she grunted as another wave of pain hit her and Selene tapped a button on her comm to start timing it. 

"Very close."

"OK…I believe you…" Selene held her hand tight as Clare's face contorted like a Halloween mask, her breath coming in quick pants. 

"Try to breathe with me, OK. In through your nose, deep breath," she inhaled deeply and held it for a couple of beats before exhaling loudly through her mouth, "out through the mouth. Come on, again, with me."

She coached the woman through a few more breaths, letting her speed up as the contraction truly took hold. Scott appeared beside them, a canister of Entonox in his hand. He got to work connecting a tube and mouthpiece to it. 

"Perfect," she took the tube from him and handed it to Clare to hold. "Put this between your teeth, inhale deeply when the pain gets bad, this will help. Now, I know it's not pleasant, but I need to take a look at you and see how things are progressing, OK?" 

At her nod Selene helped her to lay back so she was flatter and removed her jeans and underwear, making sure she was covered with the blanket the entire time. 

She pulled off her standard issue gloves, needing to swap them for the more appropriate examination ones. She paused for a second, debating as it would likely rip the gloves, then removed her ring, holding it out to Scott. 

"I don't have any pockets in this suit, look after this for me."

He held out his hand and she carefully dropped it into his palm. He stared at it for a second, then looked up at her, one eyebrow raised in question. 

"Let's not make a big deal out of it, especially not now. Just don't lose it or John will kill you." He nodded and slipped it into his pocket, zipping it up tightly. 

She cleaned her hands with a good squirt of alcohol rub and donned the gloves before carefully examining Clare. 

She gently felt around, trying hard to remember what the rules were regarding size. It had been a few years since she had last helped deliver a baby and then she hadn't been the one in charge. 

"Definitely not a grape, bigger than a grape," she muttered to herself. "Bigger than a coke can," she carefully spread her fingers, "Definitely Apple, maybe a donut." She stroked her fingers around, feeling the hard, bulbous head of the baby, already in position. "Not long now hun. We're close."

She began to time the contractions again when Clare began to writhe in pain, her swollen belly rippling as the contraction spread through her. Two minutes apart, longer than sixty seconds, they were getting very close. 

Selene encouraged her to breathe, offering her the gas and air every time she stopped sucking on the mouthpieces. "Keep inhaling, you'll be OK."

"My…my husband, my son?" 

"No news yet that I've heard, but he could be stuck outside as they aren't letting anyone in. Just try not to worry and keep breathing, I need you to focus and tell me the second you feel like you want to push."

"My brothers will do everything they can for your family," Scott promised her. He took the bottle of water Selene handed him and helped Clare sit up enough to sip some. 

She swallowed loudly, flinching when Selene gently checked her progress. 

"We are definitely at donut territory now and heading towards bagel. Next contraction, if you get the urge to push, do it. Listen to your body."

They had about a minute to prepare themselves before Clare grabbed her hand and hung on tight. She gritted her teeth, letting out a muffled scream as she pushed hard. The contraction waned and she flopped back against the pillows, panting. 

It was subtle at first, but it was definitely there. She would have likely noticed it quicker if she hadn't been concentrating so hard on Clare. 

It started as a tingle at the back of her neck, an awareness creeping over her like a spiderweb in her hair, the brush of phantom fingers across her cheek. 

Her gaze cut to the side, catching the briefest glimpse of a man before he vanished. She didn't have time to worry about him too much as Clare began to wail again. 

Selene counted her through another three rounds of panting, pushing, straining screaming and the baby had barely moved. She gave the woman some more water and mopped her forehead as the sweat continued to drip down to her eyes. 

"We need to try something different. Scott, I need you to help her up and support her from behind for me, can you do that?" 

"Of course." Scott was on it now that he had, for once, let someone else take over and start organising. This wasn't his area of expertise and he was smart enough to know when to back off and just accept his orders. 

"Alright, my love, let's get you up, OK? Let's see if we can't encourage this little one to start shifting." She took Clare's hands and placed them on her shoulders, then with a hand under each armpit, dragged her up into a squatting position. Scott took over as she guided his arms under Clare's, effectively turning him into a human armchair. 

Selene checked her comm. "OK sweetheart, should be another one coming up, really push for me."

Leaving one of Clare's hands on her shoulders, Selene tucked a folded blanket under the woman to pad the floor and pushed the mouthpiece of the pain relief back into her free hand. 

"Puff on that and listen to your body, you've done this before, you know the drill. You can do this."

Clare screamed through gritted teeth as another contraction ripped through her. A hard weight pressed against Selene's hands as she felt the baby's head begin to crown. 

"Yes, love! Good girl, you're doing it, almost done, baby's almost here. Keep breathing with me, in and out, in and out."

The spirit moved closer, Selene could feel him standing right behind her and shivered in response, the feeling of someone walking over her grave all too familiar. 

She coached Clare through, ignoring the spirit as best she could, as one contraction ended and another came fast on its heels. 

More pushing, more pained grunting and Selene was able to help guide the baby's shoulders. She held the baby there, supporting its weight and giving Clare a moment to breathe.

"Suck on that gas, keep breathing…"she watched for the tightening of her belly again,"Now, push, come on Clare, we've got this."

Scott grunted as the woman lent heavily against his chest, using him as leverage. 

"Last one Clare, let's meet your baby. Come on, you're doing so well!" 

The spirit moved closer again, and this time he formed fully behind her, looking over her shoulder. 

The woman's fingers dug into Selene's shoulder as she bore down, pushing with all her might. With a sudden release of pressure the baby slid out into Selene's grasp along with a metric ton of ick. 

"You have a daughter, Clare!" 

Selene felt a wave of emotion from the spirit man, realising why he was there. 

Clare collapsed back against Scott who only just caught her. He helped her lay back, propped up on pillows as Selene got to work. 

"Is she OK?" 

"She'll be fine, just give me a second."

The baby, a little girl, hadn't cried yet and she needed to act fast. She wrapped the baby in a soft blanket from the med kid and gently rubbed her back, encouraging her to breathe. The little one took in a rasping breath but it gurgled in her throat.

Scott came round to help her, visibly paling when he saw the mess that had leaked onto her suit and still covered the baby. 

"It's blood, not nuclear waste. Chill out." This earnt her a scowl which she ignored. 

Propping the baby in her arms she held out her hand to Scott who, even though he would probably rather be doing anything but helping, gingerly yanked up her bloodied glove from the base, peeling it off and inside out like a banana. 

She picked through the med kit with one hand and managed to find a pipet which she could use. She slid her pinky gently into the baby's mouth and used the pipet to carefully suck out any fluid that she may have swallowed, doing the same with her nose. She snuffles, inhaled deeply and then let out a demanding wail, sucked in another breath and did it again.

After a few more lusty yells Selene was sure she would be alright. She carefully handed her over to Clare who was crying with exhaustion, fear, worry, pain and a million other emotions. 

"Try to feed her if you can, it'll help with the placenta."

Clare nodded and with some help from Selene, unbuttoned her blouse and pulled aside her bra cup to allow the baby access. The hungry little thing latched on almost instantly. 

"Perfect, that's wonderful. You did so well, girl, I'm so proud of you." 

"Where's my husband, and my son? Are they OK? I need to know."

"I'm afraid we don't have any news yet, but a lot of people were evacuated so they might be in the village already. I really couldn't say." 

She tucked another blanket around them both to keep them warm and then gestured for Scott to follow her. 

"I've got this if you want to go and help the others. They could probably do with a hand."

"We still need to find her family. Her husband and her son." 

Selene tried to school her expression to one of concern but as usual, Scott was too observant for his own good.

"What? What's wrong?" 

She glanced over his shoulder at Clare who was crooning lovingly to her new daughter. They were bound to find out about her gifts at some point, especially if she was marrying into the family, now was as good a time as any. She grabbed his arm and pulled him further away, lowering her voice. 

"We won't find her husband alive."

"What?" His face registered utter shock. "How do you know that?" 

She sighed. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you, just trust that I know."

His eyes narrowed, eyebrows drawing down into a frown. "No, tell me what's going on."

"I'm a Witch."

He had the same eye roll as his brother. "I know that." 

She gave him a look as if that one sentence explained it all. Which to her it did. 

"So you're telling me that your witch senses were tingling and you just know?" There was a slight hint of something in his voice, maybe disbelief or exasperation,the same tone in which he pushed aside Gordon's squid sense. 

"Well, that and the fact that his spirit was standing over me the whole time."

"His...what?"

"Look, I promise, I'll explain it all later, OK? But for now I need to get back to her and you guys need to find a way to get her out."

He looked like he wanted to argue, but finally nodded and went in search of Virgil. At least he hadn't been rude to her about it, that was always a bonus. John's brothers might not always understand or even believe her, but they never made her feel unloved. 

She glanced at Clare, who was still quietly feeding the baby. The spirit was close to her now, watching them both with a soft expression that tugged on her heart. Gods she wished things were different, that she could be reuniting them all. The spirit looked over at her, catching her watching them. He leant forward, placing a gentle kiss on the baby's forehead and then the same for his wife, who shivered in response but didn't look up. 

He stepped back, lifting a hand, either in greeting, acknowledgement of her actions or in farewell, maybe all three. His form shimmered, losing the solid lines, growing fuzzy before fading away completely. 

She let out the breath she had been holding, exhaustion swamping her. Why was it always so hard? 

Selene needed to touch base, she needed to talk to John, even just for a second, to let him know she was OK but mostly because she really needed to hear his voice. It was emotional, helping someone bring a new life into the world when others had just been snuffed out. 

She peeled off her remaining glove and balled it up, tossing it towards the med kit and tapped her comm. 

"Everything OK?" 

He was there in an instant and she took her first full breath since entering the building. 

"Yeah, I'm fine, love. Mother and baby girl are doing good, I'm gonna go and help with the placenta in a few minutes. I just wanted to check in. How are the boys doing?" 

Her man looked tired and she ached to hold him, to feed him and let him sleep, the stress of rescues was never lost on him, even though he wasn't usually an active participant on earth. 

"Virgil and his volunteers have managed to extract everyone that was crushed in the collapse and are now working on clearing the way out for your lady. Gordon and Alan have worked non stop to clear most of the snow away and have recovered everyone that was trapped." 

"All survivors?" 

"Unfortunately not, three more deceased for them, two for Virgil, it brings our total to twelve. Five more still in critical condition."

She didn't want to ask but knew she had to. Lowering her voice she turned away from Clare. 

"Any of them children?" 

"No, almost all the children were taken to safely, only one boy, around five years old was rescued, he is badly shaken, broken arm but no other injuries. Was treated for hypothermia and shock. It could have been much worse but he was sheltered." John paused and she had a good idea of just how he had been sheltered. 

"Someone was with him, weren't they? And they didn't make it." The last was a statement not a question. 

He nodded slowly. 

"I wont tell her yet, she's not enough and I'd rather she be somewhere safe where she can have help available if needed. I have to go."

"Selene, how did you know that?"

She managed a tiny smile. "I love you, I'll see you later." Her tone made it clear she wasn't up to talking about it right then and as was often the case, he let it go. 

"Be careful."

"I will, I promise."

She shut down the link and returned to Clare's side. The baby was dozing quietly now, barely suckling. 

"I know you don't want to let her go, but I'm afraid you have to, just for a moment or two while you deliver the placenta." She carefully arranged another blanket on a pillow and took the baby, laying her snuggly and securely beside her mother. 

"Have you been feeling more contractions? The feeding should have helped them start."

"Yes, only mild though."

"No urge to push yet?" 

Clare shrugged tiredly. "A little."

Selene nodded. "OK, I'm going to massage your stomach and try to get it moving, I'll have to press quite hard I'm afraid. But once it's done it shouldn't be much longer before we can get you on a stretcher and get you out of here."

"Just do it, I need to find my family."

"I'll do my best to get you out of here as quickly as possible."

She stopped talking and, after slipping on a fresh pair of gloves, started to firmly knead Clare's abdomen, rolling down towards her pelvis. Her patient grunted, screwing up her face, obviously uncomfortable but she didn't make a move to stop her.

Gently Selene took hold of the cord that was still attached to the little girl. 

"I need you to tell me if you feel a pressure, like you need to use the bathroom." She continued to press hard with one hand, massaging and encouraging the placenta to move. 

"I feel it, I think it's moved."

"OK, just like pushing out baby but with less effort, give me a couple of hard pushes please."

Clare nodded, gritting her teeth as she pushed hard, grunting with effort. 

The first push almost had it. Selene gently tugged on the cord with the second and the placenta slid out easily. 

"All done, hun. You did great."

She did a brief visual inspection to check everything was in one piece before placing the placenta in a clinical waste bag from the med kit. 

"We need to keep this attached to baby for a little while, just until you get to the hospital so they can check that everything is as it should be."

She heard a noise and looked up to see Scott and Gordon, a stretcher hovering between them. 

"Exit is clear, time to go you two."

"Three," Selene corrected as she shed her second pair of gloves and began to bag up the waste along with two bloodied blankets to be disposed of. 

She and Gordon helped Clare to shuffle over into the stretcher and raised it back up to hip height. She turned to see Scott carefully scoop up the baby. She looked so tiny in his big hands, a small blanket burrito of cuteness. He passed the little one to her mother with a small smile. 

Selene slipped her arm around his waist, giving him a brief, one armed hug. 

"You did good, babes."

He hugged her back. "Think you did most of the work, but it's the best outcome we could have had." 

She nodded and let go, following along beside her patient as they made their way slowly outside. 

She stayed with her as mother and baby were loaded into one of the recently returned shuttle sledges and off on their way to hospital. On a whim she had told Clare that if she ever needed to talk or needed someone, she could call and John would patch her through. She knew that John would probably scowl at her and it would take a good few kisses and soothing reassurances that she wasn't using him as a messenger service before he forgave her, but she knew she couldn't give out her number now she was so involved with International Rescue. She knew that Clare was about to receive the worst kind of news a wife could ever hear. Selene wasn't married yet and didn't have kids to think about, but the idea of losing the man she loved was something she refused to even contemplate. 

She hugged Clare goodbye, stroked the baby's soft head and waved them off. 

"Hard isn't it?" 

She turned to see Gordon beside her, looking as shattered as she felt.

"Yeah, it's not great."

"Did you hear that we found her husband?" 

Selene frowned. Had she heard, why did he ask that? Had Scott not told them that she had been the one to tell him? 

"Alan uncovered them under John's direction. They were close to where the side of the building had been. Possibly they were trying to take shelter but the snow just came too fast. He was covering the boy, he'd obviously tried to protect him. We don't know how he died, but we'd assume internal injuries of some kind. The boy's doing OK, he was taken to hospital along with the other survivors." Gordon paused, seeing the look on her face. "None of this is news to you, is it? Did Scott tell you, or John?" 

She sighed, suddenly feeling more tired than ever before, and she'd hardly done anything. 

"Can we talk about this later? When we get back?" 

Gordon looked like he wanted to argue, but finally gave in. 

"Virgil is just doing a debrief with the local authorities and then we can go, John's going to meet us there."


	18. Stars and moon pt 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Selene can't avoid the subject forever.

She sat quietly in one of the seats in Two, content to watch the boys and not have to think too much about the conversations she'd likely have to deal with when they got back. 

She knew in her heart that although they likely weren't going to treat her any differently, at least not in a negative way, they would definitely see her in a different light. But that didn't stop the voice in her head that was nagging at her, reminding her that she'd been here before, had people she cared about, people she loved, who had turned on her when they realised just how different she really was. It was easy to know that someone was different in an abstract way, but when it was shoved in your face feelings could change. 

She listened with half an ear to the conversation that carried on around her, though it was understandably more subdued than she was used to. She closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the seat, somewhat soothed by the deep bass rumble of Virgil's voice and the sweeter softer tones of Gordon and Alan. 

She jumped when she felt a hand on her arm and opened her eyes to see Alan staring at her. She took his offered hand and held it tight, grateful for his presence, for all of them really. 

"You OK, Selly?" 

She squeezed his hand. "Yeah, I'm fine, sweetheart." 

"You sure?" 

"I'm sure, don't worry about me."

He didn't look like he believed her and neither did Virgil when he glanced over his shoulder at her before returning his attention to the skies. 

She didn't really expect John to be sitting waiting on one of the couches when they got back, she'd assumed he'd turn up at some point later in the evening, but she was more than happy to see him. 

He was there in an instant, his arms wrapping her up in the world's tightest hug. She clung to him, breathing in the scent that was uniquely his, letting him surround her in his warmth and security. Gods she loved him, he just made everything better. 

She enjoyed the closeness for a minute before she pulled back. 

"Everyone's tired and hungry, I'm gonna throw something on to cook for when they finish up and then take a quick shower, I feel icky."

"You don't have to do that." 

"Yes I do, I touched some things today, things I don't want to think too closely about and I need to feel clean."

"I meant cook."

She waved away his comment.

"It's not a big deal, you've all had a long and emotionally draining day, food helps. Food shows you care, it's one of the things I inherited from my Nan."

John, wise man that he was, knew that arguing with her was beyond pointless, she saw some things in a very black and white way, and this was one of them. People needed food, you care about them, so you fed them. It was the same mentality that his Grandma had, Selene was just less likely to poison them with it. 

"OK, then I'll help." 

Boy was definitely a keeper. She gave him another grateful squeeze and put him to work chopping and frying some chicken and keeping an eye on a big pot of boiling pasta while she had a quick shower. 

Ten minutes later she was dried and dressed, wet hair held up in a clip, wearing comfy yoga pants and a baggy sweater. She hadn't bothered with any makeup, they had all seen her barefaced by now and honestly she just couldn't be bothered. 

She took over from John, keeping an eye on the chicken while she made a simple cheese sauce and chopped up a little bacon to fry and set aside to sprinkle on top later. 

It took but a few minutes to toss the chicken in with the pasta and sauce, mixing it all together. She grated some cheese into a bowl and put it, along with some big bowls and cutlery, onto the table beside the pot of pasta. Everyone would roll up at some point and help themselves. 

As usual she dished him up the biggest portion she could fit in a bowl and glared at him until he took it. She pointed to the couches in the family room and he slunk off, knowing that resistance was futile. She dished herself up a much smaller portion and took that, along with a couple of glasses of water, because as usual he had forgotten to get himself a drink, and joined him. 

Alan was the next to appear, sniffing hopefully at the air, darting off to grab some food. Gordon followed soon after, with Virgil then Scott bringing up the rear five minutes later. 

"So," Scott began, managing to pick the moment that everyone had their mouths full and couldn't argue with him, "debrief."

There were muffled groans all round but no one tried to stop him, it would be like trying to slow the passage of time, impossible. Best to just get it over with rather than prolong the torture. 

Scott, being Scott, ignored their collective moaning and continued. 

"I know we had some loses today, but they were out of our hands, we couldn't have done any better. We all worked hard, did our best and saved more lives than would have been spared had we not been there. I know it's hard when you face the things we did today. You know the drill, one by one, I want you all to go over what you did and report any damage you or your equipment sustained."

Selene kept quiet while everyone talked about their part of the day, she didn't really have anything to contribute, for which she was actually grateful. Honestly she was hoping she could just fade into the background and be left alone. 

John put his almost empty bowl on the table beside the couch and nudged her gently. 

"You're quiet," he whispered. "Everything OK?" 

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm good."

He didn't look like he believed her. 

He took her hand in his, squeezing it gently, then frowned. 

"Where's your-" 

She looked down at her hand for a second before his meaning became clear. She had a mental flash of taking her ring off and handing it over. 

"Oh! Scott has it, or at least he better still have it."

"What? What does Scott have?" Alan was in there like a bloodhound scenting gossip. 

Scott's head shot up from the file of something that was probably important but she hadn't paid attention to, that he was quietly discussing with Virgil. 

John ignored his youngest brother. 

"Why does he have it? Are you attempting to swap again?" He wasn't really being serious, but still couldn't help the tiny spark of worry. Had she not wanted to be seen with it?

She patted his hand, knowing where his thoughts had gone to. "I took it off because it would have ripped through the examination gloves, plus I was putting my hands inside a person."

"Shit! Ring! I'll be right back!" The eldest Tracy tossed the tablet at Virgil and took off like he'd been shot from a cannon.

"Ring?" Virgil's raised eyebrow was a thing of beauty as he put the tablet down on the table, grateful for the distraction. "Is there something you two want to tell us?" 

"There's a ring?" 

"What kind of ring?" 

Selene glanced at John, it was his family and his right to tell them. 

John sighed, wishing this wasn't happening at this moment in time. He'd never hear the end of it. 

"We weren't hiding anything from you, we were going to tell you tomorrow night when we came down for Christmas, but obviously things didn't go to plan."

"So you two are-" Gordon began but he was interrupted by the arrival of a panting Scott. 

"Here…it is…was in…uniform," he held her ring between two fingers and presented it to John before collapsing down into one of the bucket seats that could take them to Thunderbird Three. 

"Thanks," John held the ring for a second, suddenly feeling very exposed as every one of his brothers stared at him expectantly. "Erm…I…yeah." 

Selene took pity on her poor spaceman and held out her hand, palm up, for the ring, giving him an out. He'd done it properly once, he didn't need to prove anything. 

"No," he took her hand in his and turned it over so he could slide the ring gently down her finger. "Now don't take it off again." 

She snorted. "Like I had a choice this time."

"OK, don't take it off again unless you really have to," he amended. 

"Wasn't planning on it," she turned to look at the others, who were still watching them intently like they were expecting a show. "What?" 

"When did this happen?" Gordon wanted to know. 

"We need details," Alan added. 

"Let me see that ring," Virgil demanded, always wanting to see pretty things, jumping up to inspect it. "Oh that's perfect, where did you even find that?" 

John shifted, looking a little uncomfortable. "I didn't find it, I designed it."

Selene glanced at him in surprise, she hadn't known that. Why hadn't he told her?

"What's that in the middle of the moon?" Virgil gently twisted her finger to see the ring from all angles. "It doesn't look like a gemstone, it's quite rough." 

"That's because it's not."

"It isn't?" Virgil was completely baffled. "What is it?" 

"It's a piece of meteorite."

"Of course it is," Scott laughed, would it have been anything else if John had a hand in it? 

"Let me see," Alan was suddenly there, bending down to peer at the stone. "That is so cool, bro."

She had a meteorite, on her finger. That was crazy! She hadn't thought to ask what the stone actually was, or where he had gotten such a unique design. John being John, hadn't volunteered the information, he never did unless you outright asked him a question. It was so like him to downplay the whole thing, from the most perfect proposal to a ring that he hadn't just picked out in a shop, but had taken the time to design and have made. Most other men would have been shouting it from the rooftops, bragging to everyone that they had been so clever and so romantic, yet her man didn't do anything the way you'd expect. He'd obviously been planning this for longer than she had thought, but he'd never given so much as a hint as to his intentions. She'd never have been able to keep it a secret if it had been the other way around. 

"Grandma is going to be so excited, she's been wanting to plan a wedding since we were born," Gordon grinned. 

"She can keep waiting," Selene stated firmly. 

"What she means is that we don't want to make a fuss, neither of us are particularly into the idea of a big wedding, Selene is obviously pagan and so she doesn't want anything traditional, so we're sticking close to home with something small and intimate." 

"What he said," she sighed. "It's not that I don't love and adore Grandma, you know I do, so much, but this is supposed to be about us and what we want, not everyone else. That's why we wanted to take a few days to just get our heads around the fact that it would be happening at all. I don't want my future husband to be uncomfortable and anxious all day because he's surrounded by a million people all staring at us like we're there for their entertainment. Our wedding is not a show."

"So no big ceremony or lavishness of any kind?" Gordon confirmed. 

They both shook their heads. 

"Relaxed is key, if you want to rock up in shorts and a T-shirt, you do it. It's not what you wear, it's the fact that you're there that matters to us."

"Seriously?" Alan couldn't believe what he was hearing. 

"Seriously," John confirmed. "We talked about it and we want a beach wedding, a handfasting." 

"A pagan wedding," Selene explained at the blank look on their faces. 

"Is that even legal?" Scott wanted to know. 

"Depends on where you do it and the local authority, but honestly, we had another idea. Well, Sel did." 

"What's that? Virgil was ever curious. 

"We thought that one of you might like to do the honours. You know, get an online thing that makes it legal and perform the ceremony ourselves."

All four brothers looked at each other as if they couldn't believe what they were hearing. 

"Really?" Alan asked. 

"Really," John confirmed. 

"That is so cool! Can I do it?" 

"I don't think you're old enough, squirt," Scott ruffled his younger brother's hair. 

"Damn it," Alan crossed is arms in annoyance. "I'm always too young."

"Can I do it then?" Gordon tossed his hat into the ring. 

"It's a long way off at the moment, let's just wait and see what happens shall we?" Selene hedged, not wanting an argument to erupt between them all. 

"Nice as this all is, you're forgetting one thing," Virgil pointed out. 

"What's that?" 

"You have to deal with Grandma tomorrow when she gets here with Penny and Parker and she realises that she's the last to know."

John's eyes grew wide. "Any chance you could all pretend you don't know?" 

Scott laughed, shaking his head. "Not a chance in hell." 

***

"You continue to surprise me, you know."

Selene jumped, spinning round to see Scott standing behind her. She shifted over to make room for him on the bench, turning back to look out over the sea again. 

"I do? Why's that?" 

He eased down beside her, leaning back, getting comfortable. 

"Not that I thought you were with him for our money-" 

"Not after the first month anyway," she joked, though they both knew there was a ring of truth in her comment. 

"Not after I met you properly," he corrected her. "And definitely not after your first visit here." 

She nodded, not wanting to remember the circumstances that had led to her rather rushed appearance on the island. 

"No, you surprised me because, for most women, their wedding day is the one time they are allowed to make everything about them, to live out their princess fantasy. But not you."

"He wouldn't like that," she tugged her shawl closer around her shoulders. "I've always hated the way it's all about the bride and the groom is forgotten about or his wishes ignored completely. Not exactly the best way to start a life together, is it?" 

"No," he smiled. "It's not. And I'm glad you realise that about him. I think, out of all my brothers, he's the one I worry about the most."

"Even Gordon? I mean, that boy could find trouble in his sleep. I don't know how he does it."

Scott laughed wrapping his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to his side. "Even Gordon."

"Damn."

"So it guess it's a good thing that you're here to help me look after him, that is, if you don't want to take this as your last chance to swap."

She grinned, nudging him with her elbow. "Much as I love you, I think I'll stick with my spaceman."

"Can't blame a guy for trying."

They sat in silence for a few minutes before he spoke again. 

"It's later."

"Huh?" she lifted her head from his shoulder to look at him.

"You said we'd talk later about what happened earlier."

"Oh, you mean…" she made oogie boogie fingers with her hands. 

He nodded. "That you can see ghosts."

"Wait, what? You see ghosts?" Alan's scared yelp made them both jump. The youngest Tracy stood in the doorway, a mug of hot chocolate in each hand, clearly in the process of delivering it to them. 

"That stayed secret for the longest time, didn't it?" 

Scott winced, squeezing her shoulder apologetically. "Sorry, hazard of having so many siblings."

"So I've begun to realise."

"Ghosts?" Gordon popped up like he'd been summoned. 

"Yes! Ghosts!" she threw up a hand in disgust, almost punching Scott, who managed to duck just in time.

"What about Ghosts?" John's head appeared around the door, having followed the sound of their voices. 

"The gangs all here!" Selene dropped her head into her hands. She hadn't wanted any of this attention. She'd been there before, as soon as people found out the extent of her gifts they were either scared of her and treated her differently, sometimes cutting her off completely, or they constantly wanted her to communicate with their loved ones, getting very annoyed when she couldn't do everything they wanted. She didn't want anything to change between them, she didn't want them to end up fearing her or hating her. 

"Virgil's not," Gordon pointed out helpfully but was ignored. 

"Shall I go back inside?" 

"No, sorry love." She lifted her head to look at him, reaching out a hand to draw him closer. 

"Want to explain the conversation we apparently all walked in on?" 

She shook her head. "Not really."

Scott snorted in amusement, earning himself a glare. 

"Sorry."

John frowned. "I am exercising my right as your future husband to demand an explanation."

"Unfair," she pouted, dropping his hand. 

"Oh, low blow, bro," Alan laughed. 

John ignored everyone but her, lowering to squat down in front of her, refusing to let her avoid his gaze. 

"What's going on? Talk to me."

"There's nothing to talk about."

"Isn't that up to me to judge?" 

"Not really, no. It's just more of my weirdness that I'd rather keep quiet about."

Gordon moved closer, seemingly oblivious to the tension or just good at ignoring it. 

"So you really can see them?" 

She sighed, closing her eyes as she prayed for strength. "Sometimes."

"They are actually real?" Alan's voice held a tiny note of fear she wasn't used to hearing from him. 

"Pretty much everything is real in some form or another."

His eyes widened in horror, his mind conjuring up a million other scary things that he'd been told weren't real. He took a step back, away from her, as if she were suddenly dangerous. 

"See?" she gestured to the youngest. "That's exactly why I didn't want to say anything. I don't want this. I don't want to be treated differently!"

"No one's going to treat you any different," John promised. She wanted to believe him, but it was hard. 

She got to her feet, needing to move, dodging around him as he unfolded himself from his Crouch and stood up. 

She rounded on them all, noticing that Virgil had silently joined them, alerted by the raised voices. 

"Are you honestly telling me that you won't think I'm a freak, a bigger one than I already was? Yes, I see ghosts, I talk to spirits, I get flashes of the future, I have intuition out the wahzoo, I see auras, I know when people aren't being honest, and I see that now!"

"No one thinks you're a freak-" 

"You are marrying a freak!" 

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Gordon and Alan shuffle backwards as if trying to escape. She pointed the pissed off finger of death at them in warning. 

"Stay! You do not get to leave right now!" 

They froze in place, not daring to move. 

Virgil looked around, then slowly raised a hand. 

"Yes?" she snapped. 

He swallowed but gamely pushed on. 

"For those of us who just innocently wandered in on this, can we please have an explanation?" 

She swung the pointy finger at Scott. "It's his fault."

Scott, for his part, didn't look fazed at all. He just grinned. 

"She's being dramatic again."

"Oh! How very dare you!" 

He ignored her. But honestly, they all did that, she was beginning to wonder why she ever bothered talking at all. 

"She's freaking out because she had a little run in with a ghost-" 

"A spirit," she corrected. 

"There's a difference?" John wanted to know. 

"- at the avalanche earlier," Scott continued as if he'd never been interrupted. "She outed herself by telling me that we wouldn't find the new mother's husband alive. She knew because he was there."

Once again five pairs of eyes swung around to fix on her. 

"That's how you knew when no one had told you?" Gordon asked, recalling their previous conversation.

She nodded. 

"He was there for the birth, saw his daughter and wife were safe and then left, likely he crossed over. I doubt he'd stick around."

Warm arms wrapped around her from behind, she expected to see John, so was surprised to find Virgil hugging her. 

"Why are we just hearing about this now?" he asked. 

"It's not something that just comes up in normal conversation." 

He raised an eyebrow at that. "With you we wouldn't have been surprised."

"Mean."

"But true," John commented. 

"I expected better from you, you're supposed to love me."

He shrugged. "You get what you get."

"Seriously though, those are some mad skills you got there, and we're all about that shit," Gordon pointed out. "We're not exactly a conventional team, we all have our specialties and skill sets that we put to use."

"And what use would mine be?" She folded her arms over V's, giving him a brief squeeze of thanks before letting him go. 

"I for one would have liked to have known if there really were ghosts aboard the EDEN," Alan shuddered at the memory of the creepy, half finished, abandoned vessel. 

"EDEN?" 

"EDEN was a ship that was originally designed to become almost like a floating city, self sustained in space. But was never finished and ended up being abandoned. We had to go and help with a rescue there," John took over the narrative. 

"Do I take it it was creepy?" 

"It wasn't that bad," his tone was way too casual to be convincing. 

Snorts of disbelief echoed from the other three and she couldn't help but smile, her heart lightning a little, unable to resist teasing them, just a tiny bit.

"Awww are ghosts scary?" 

"Of course not."

"You didn't hear them on the way back," Scott laughed. "Wusses."

"Well obviously our fears were unfounded," John sniffed, trying to ignore the sniggering from Gordon. 

"Unfounded! She's just told us different!" Alan couldn't get over the fact that everything he'd ever been promised as a child was a lie. 

"Ghosts can't hurt you, they're no scarier than I am."

"So you say, " Alan huffed. "You have moments of being downright terrifying."

"You're scared of me?" Her hand flew to her heart like his comment physically hurt her. The baby was scared of her? Gods she wanted to cry. 

"He's scared of all women," Gordon grinned evilly, earning himself a punch. 

Scott attacked Alan from the other side, chuffing him lightly around the head.

"He's not scared of you, he said you're scary, there's a difference," John assured her. 

"Not from where I'm standing!"

"You're a good scary, you're the one that we'd set on someone if they were mean to us, no one would dare argue with you," Gordon added. "Remember that tour guide?" 

They drove her nuts, the lot of them. What the hell was she marrying into?

Selene sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I can see that I'm going to have to explain some things before Alan starts to hide from me and you all expect Casper to pop out of the wall. Everyone inside, I need to sit down if we're gonna do this right." 

***

"Ghosts and spirits are two different things."

She took the now cold chocolate off Alan with a smile of thanks and settled back against the couch. Everyone was watching her, like she was about to impart some great wisdom. Even Brains had appeared, lured out of his lab by the promise of fresh information to ponder over and possibly examine. 

"OK, let's start with the basics. Can we all agree that energy never dies, it just changes form?" 

They all nodded. 

"First hurdle over. Anyone know anything about energy in inanimate objects or locations?" 

Like a well behaved class, three put their hands up, Brains, Gordon and John. Not that she'd expected anything less, after all her work with them on grounding she'd had kicked their butts if they hadn't made the logical leap. 

"Ghosts are residual energy, a recording if you will, of an event or regular route. For example, if someone lived their entire life in one house, they will have put a lot of energy into it, and that energy can stay after they pass. So you might feel their presence and or possibly catch a glimpse of them if you are sensitive to that sort of thing. But it's just energy, nothing more." 

She sipped her drink and continued. 

"In an area where a high energy event, such as a murder, a battle or something like that, has occurred, the recording is stronger. That would be a big burst of energy and emotion expelled that then soaks into the surrounding area and stays there, replaying over and over."

They all nodded, but she wasn't sure how much they were actually taking in or understanding. 

"A ghost cannot interact with the world in any way, it's just an energetic imprint, same as you couldn't talk to a recording and expect an answer. Spirits are different because they are the ones that we can communicate with, that can interact, move things around and sometimes talk to us. What I saw today as a spirit. That is the soul, the life force, whatever you want to call it, that has left its shell behind and is now on a different plane of existence. Weird, but there you go. That's what I do, I see them, I communicate with them, I can't help it, I can't stop it, it's just me."

No one said a thing. 

"Did any of that make sense to you?" She looked around at the assembled group. 

Slowly, one by one, they began to nod. 

"Any questions?" 

Brains raised a hand. 

"Does it involve me wearing any kind of observation equipment or you staring at me for prolonged periods of time?" 

He paused, then slowly nodded. 

"Then no."

His face dropped along with his hand. She sighed, taking pity on him. 

"Fine, but I refuse to wear any kind of hat, anything that is sticky and I will not be performing on command. It doesn't work like that."

That got her a happy smile in return. 

"I m-must admit that I have always found it a rather f-fascinating subject. This requires much research an-and investigation." 

"Wait, you believe in ghosts, Brains?" Virgil asked. 

"There is too much evidence, using scientific equipment a-and experimentations to disprove completely. I h-have never taken the time to really study it, but I have followed a number of investigations. EVP and EMF can be faked, of course, but it would be interesting to do our own experiments, I'm sure I could design something that could improve on the technology they use. You will answer any questions, of course." It wasn't so much a question as a statement of fact and she had no choice but to agree. 

"Very good," he disappeared behind a tablet, obviously eager to get started. 

"What else exist out there?" Gordon asked next. 

She made a face. "You probably don't want to know the answer to that, not after the kitchen incident."

A look passed between the two youngest and they shuddered at the memory. 

"What kitchen incident?" Scott was right in there, sensing an avoided disaster. 

"I sneezed while Alan was making pancakes and he almost lost an eyebrow, there was plucking involved to make things even again," she lied so smoothly that even Gordon was impressed. "None of you want to know what other magical creatures are out there."

"What can you do with these gifts?" Virgil butted in, taking the heat off them.

She shrugged. "I've never tested them to find my limits, it's just something that comes naturally. I've always seen them, I've always been able to talk to them if they are strong enough and I've learnt to use these gifts to help others as much as I can."

"How do you do that?" 

"Yeah, we don't really know what you do, Sel," Alan commented. 

"Well, you never asked, and honestly I don't volunteer the information that often. People can get a bit funny with me when they know. I didn't want to give any of you a reason to hate me."

"We could never hate you," John's arm hooked around her waist, pulling her close. 

"Do you not think I've heard that before?" 

He just hugged her tighter. "You hadn't met us then."

"So, what's your job really?" Alan pressed.

"Witch, that's my job, though I suppose most of what I do is more mediumship and psychic based. If I have a client in person or on video call they might just want me to try to contact someone that's passed, or I could be doing a guidance reading. I might even go to their house or place of work and cleanse the joint, getting rid of any residual energy that manifests into ghosts. If it's a commission it could be a card reading, natal charts, numerology or something else. Might be a spell, prayers or long distance healing. Everything I do is for positive reasons, if it won't help someone then I won't do it."

There were a few wide eyes watching her. Scott cleared his throat, drawing their attention. 

"The question here is, how can you help us to help people?" Scott wasn't one to beat around the bush. 

She shook her head. "I don't know. What use is someone that can see and hear things that others can't and can sense things and see emotions if they put their mind to it?"

Blank faces all around. 

"See, not that easy is it?" 

Virgil looked at Scott, who gave a half shrug in answer. Once again they seemed to be able to communicate without words, just knowing what the other was thinking. An expressive eyebrow raise from V and then a small nod of acceptance from Scott seemed to conclude their nonverbal conversation. 

"OK, so we might not know what you can do to help right this second, but we know that you will be able to," Virgil began. 

"So maybe you need to come out with us more often," he paused when John shot him a sharp look of warning but then continued, "when it's safe and when you feel comfortable, and we just see what happens. Much like today, we feel that your skills will make themselves known when they are needed."

"If you want to, that is," Virgil tacked on. 

"Well of course I want to, I'll help any way I can, if this is going to be my life too, then I want to actually be a part of it and make myself useful."

'You're more than useful already," John insisted, taking her hand in his. 

"Well, a little more can't hurt, something better than just feeding you all that is."

"Never underestimate the importance of food," Alan insisted. 

"Do we have an agreement?" Scott asked. 

She looked at John, needing to be sure that he was fully on board. He studied her for a long moment, his eyes mapping her face, his thumb toying with the ring on her finger. Finally he nodded. She turned back to the assembled family. 

"I'm in."

Virgil grinned. "Welcome to the team."


	19. Stars and moon pt 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Christmas day.

They had all stayed up late talking, so it was a very bleary eyed crew that stumbled their way around the kitchen the next morning. 

Selene had the coffee pot in front of her and was sharing the joy with Virgil, who was slumped in the chair beside her, holding out his cup at regular intervals for a top up. 

She'd toasted a pile of bagels -because she didn't want to think what John would be like without at least one- and thrown some frozen croissants into the oven and, after putting out a dish of butter and various jams, had called it good and sunk down into a chair, never to move again. 

Gordon was seated across the table from them, his head resting on his arms, asleep again with half a croissant in his hand. Alan and Scott were nowhere to be seen and she knew John was likely still in the shower. When you spent most of your time in space you really appreciated a decent shower when you got back, and his bathroom had one of those tropical waterfall types that soaked you from all angles. He'd could be gone for hours, she just left him to it now. 

"We're here!" 

They both jumped like they had been shot at, heads snapping up at the booming greeting that accompanied Grandma's entrance. If they had been more awake they would have likely seen the approach of FAB 1 and had more than a second to compose themselves. 

"Welcome back, Grandma," Virgil went in for a hug while Selene nudged Gordon awake, brushing crumbs off his chin and finger combing his hair just in time to be semi presentable as Penelope sailed through the door. She was, as always, accompanied by Parker, who had somehow managed to carry six items of luggage at one go. 

"Let me help!" Selene eased a couple of the bigger cases out from under his arms and stacked them carefully in a corner out of the way before going back for more but Gordon had beaten her to it. 

"Any more in FAB 1?" Gordon asked. 

"H'of course there is, " Parker sounded so depressed about the very thought that she had to take pity on him. 

After a hasty round of greetings, happy birthday wishes to Penelope, and the hugging of both ladies, Selene took the older man's arm. "Come on, let's get it emptied so we can all have a sit down and relax. It's Christmas after all."

Gordon stared at the car in dismay. "How did that much stuff fit in there?" 

The trunk was full to bursting and the passenger area was piled up so far you could barely see the seats. How Grandma and Penelope has squeezed in was a total mystery. There were even a few bags stuffed in around the driver's seat, along with Parkers small suitcase. 

"They are two very determined ladies," was all the answer they got. 

Even with the three of them it took more trips than they could count. John and Scott had emerged by the time they were done, after having arranged the wrapped gifts under the tree, deposited suitcases in various rooms and packed away the last minute food items that had been bought. 

Selene collapsed down on John's lap, having lost her seat to Scott, and took his coffee cup from his hand. 

"I could make you your own, you know."

"Stolen food tastes better," she shrugged, leaning over to take a bite of his bagel too. 

"She's not wrong," Virgil acknowledged, having swiped and drunk her first cup while she had been busy making breakfast. 

Selene shot a squinty eyed glare at him, but he just grinned at her, totally unashamed. Fortunately they knew her too well now to be bothered by any of her threats or moods. 

"Anything else you want? Air from my lungs?" Her spaceman was always at his sarcastic best in the morning, which she happened to find utterly adorable. 

"No, you can keep that," she passed him his cup back, smiling sweetly then turned to Penelope and Grandma. "How was the shopping trip?" 

"Wonderful, we saw the lights of London, had tea at the Ritz, shopped at Harrods and then Carnaby Street, and we took Grandma to see her first pantomime."

"It was so much fun, all the children in the audience were shouting at the stage and singing along to the songs. I can't wait for one of these boys to provide me with great grandchildren that I can take."

Selene felt John's arm tighten briefly around her waist, an obvious warning to be careful what she said next, anything was potential ammunition for Grandma Tracy. 

"Well now I'm very sorry I had to turn down your invite, I used to love the pantomime when I was a child, but definitely count me in next time."

"Oh, that's right, you two had a night away. Was it enjoyable? Did you like your early gift?" Penelope smiled as she sipped her tea. Where the cup and saucer had come from was a complete mystery. 

John's forehead landed on Selene's shoulder with a thump. 

"You two went away?" Grandma zeroed in like a heat seeking missile. "Let me see this gift then."

Selene glanced over her shoulder at John. He heaved a deep sigh of resignation, knowing what was to come but unable to avoid it. He unwrapped one arm from around her waist and lifted her arm to point her hand in his Grandma's direction. 

Grandma blinked. There was a moment of silence. She blinked again. And then she moved, grabbing Selene's hand and yanking it closer, almost dragging her off John's lap. 

"Is that what I think it is?" 

"Oh! Oh, I'm so sorry, I thought you'd ordered a necklace or something," Penelope blushed delicately, because she did everything with utter class, even begging forgiveness, something that Selene envied her for. 

"It's fine, we were going to tell everyone later tonight after dinner," Selene reassured her. Honestly it was easier to just get it over with. 

"IS THIS WHAT I THINK IT IS?" Grandma demanded to know. "John?" 

He nodded. "Yes, I asked Selene to marry me."

"And she actually agreed?" 

"Should I be insulted by that?" John asked mildly. 

"Of course I said yes, he's worth changing my mind for."

"Well, obviously," Grandma sniffed. "He's my grandson, they are all perfect."

"They are," Selene agreed. 

"Tell me everything about the proposal, I need to know," Grandma's eyes glowed with excitement and happiness. "Tell me he did it right?" 

Selene smiled. "He did it perfectly."

"Details," Penelope insisted. 

"Yeah, John, details," Scott grinned evilly. 

"Don't hold out on us, bro," Virgil added. "You never did tell us last night."

"Don't make me do this," John's voice was muffled where his face was buried in her neck. 

"Best to get it over with, love." She kissed the top of his head. He groaned pitifully in response but lifted his head. 

"What do you want to know?" 

"When did this happen?" Grandma started the interrogation. 

"Winter Solstice, three days ago."

"Where? You weren't up in Five were you?" Virgil wanted to know.

"Give him some credit," Selene defended her man. "He took me to Alaska to see the Aurora Borealis, to celebrate Yule, as that's my Christmas. Hence the early gift."

"It was also six months since the night we met."

"Summer Solstice, " Selene tacked on.

"That's actually quite romantic," Virgil acknowledged. 

"So you were out in the snow?" Gordon asked. 

Selene shook her head. "No! Way too cold, cabin had a hot tub."

Gordon grinned. "Smooth, bro."

John inclined his head in thanks, a small smile beginning to form. 

"Who knew you had it in you?" Scott patted John on the back. 

"I did," Selene smiled, sliding an arm around John's waist. 

"That's beautiful," Grandma sniffled, wiping her eyes on a hankie she pulled from her sleeve. "I'm so happy for you two, and glad my nagging paid off. When's the wedding?" 

"Not for a long time yet," John insisted. 

"More time to plan," Grandma smiled dreamily. 

Selene could almost see the wheels turning in Grandma's head. 

"There's nothing to plan," Selene told her gently, not wanting to be mean but needing to hit the breaks. "Not really, small, intimate and private is key."

"But, there will still be things to organise, right?" the shock and disappointment on Grandma's face was evident. 

"Oh, there will be some planning and organising needed, and we'll want help with it, but we have a very clear idea about what we want," John promised her. 

"We can make lists together," Selene added to sweeten the deal.

"I like lists!" the smile was back. 

"Congratulations," Penny interrupted politely. "I'm very pleased for you."

"Thank you," John replied.

"I just wish your father could be here," Grandma's voice held so much emotion as she patted John's hand. "He'll be with us in spirit."

Selene kept quiet, schooling her face into a suitable expression of sympathy and understanding. No one had asked her, and she wasn't about to cause any more heartache by volunteering the information. Because she knew that Jeff Tracy was not dead, she'd know if he was. No, either he had chosen to stay away, or someone had made it impossible for him to return, and from what she had heard about the patriarch of the Tracy clan, if he could be with them, he would be. There must be a very good reason for his absence and he would never want his boys involved in anything that could put them in even more danger, so she wouldn't do anything to push the subject. 

She wouldn't lie to them, if any of them asked her outright, she'd tell them the truth as she knew it. She just hoped she wouldn't have to. 

Over John's shoulder Scott caught sight of her face and frowned. He knew that expression, he'd seen it just the day before. She was hiding something. And if there was one thing Scott hated it was being out of the loop and not knowing all the facts. He didn't do secrets. He'd get to the bottom of it soon enough. 

***

Selene had thought long and hard about Christmas gifts for the family. She knew them well enough to be a reasonable judge of their tastes, likes and dislikes, but had had to think out of the box when it came to gift buying. What did you get for someone that had more money than they could possibly spend and wanted for nothing? Buying for just one of them would have been a nightmare, but times that by the ten people she needed to provide for and she had been ready to quit the world and hide away. She had been trapped in the middle of a crowd in Camden and suddenly realised just why John stayed in space and why he had managed to trick her into buying for both of them. Apparently joint gift giving was now a thing, although he had been helpful in tracking down some of the more obscure items she had thought up. 

In the end she had bought a few random gifts, ordered a lot more online, then made her escape.  
For John she'd picked up some silly bits, one of which was now somewhat redundant, a t-shirt that said "Son of a b**ch, my girlfriend's a Witch!" 

Strangely enough, she'd actually picked up a ring for him on her travels, one that was worked in platinum, the chunky band containing etched depictions of the constellation Scorpius, the scorpion, his star sign. She had intended it to be worn on whichever finger it fitted, it was just really pretty with little pinprick stars all around and a brushed finish that looked like the swirling night sky. But maybe her inner voice had led her that way for a reason since he put it on his left hand to match hers. 

For Alan and Gordon she had replaced the items they had sacrificed to the demon they had inadvertently conjured, as well as a couple of extras, including hand dying a shirt for Gordon in the best tie dye hippy style. 

For Virgil she had hunted through her Grandparents things in storage and selected an old vinyl recording from over a hundred years ago of her Grandfather's favourite piece of music, the 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky, one that she also loved. 

For Scott they had tracked down a hand carved model spitfire made as trench art in the 1940s. 

Grandma she had found a beautiful vintage patchwork bedspread which she knew the older lady would love, having told Selene of the fond memories she had of one belonging to her own grandmother. 

Brains, Penelope, Parker and Kayo had been harder, she'd really been struggling, but after the conversation that night before she had popped online and booked herself and Brains places on a haunted ghost tour. Now he could study her all night. 

For Kayo they had found online a poster for an old movie, Enter the Dragon, signed by the star, Bruce Lee, whom Kayo had told her she was a fan of. 

For Parker she had popped along to a little pub near where he had grown up and bought a pewter tankard for his evening ale, bearing the pub name. He had told her stories of sneaking in when he was too young and buying his first pint. 

For Penelope she had heard of a lovely pair of earrings up for auction that contained her birthstone, so that was her birthday gift, and as a Christmas gift they had ordered a subscription to the "Teas of the world" loot box. A different tea would be posted out once a week for a year. 

She had been more than happy to shop for both her and John, but had felt like she needed to add a little something just from her. 

She was a witch, she was a crafter, and when times were tough she fell back on that which she knew better than anything else. 

She didn't often show off her skills, and hardly ever volunteered them to people that hadn't asked, but she had been spending more and more time with them and was getting sick of hiding everything she did through fear of rejection or judgement. Once again it seemed that her intuition had been warning her of the upcoming revelations before the conversations had happened. 

Handmade gifts were always more personal, so she had set to work, carving small talismans for protection and luck for each of them, choosing a strong oak branch to slice up and inscribed them with a sigil. She had blessed and empowered them during her Yule ritual and tucked them away carefully in her bag. 

She had also taken the time to draw up a natal chart for each person, writing out in great detail all the aspects for their birth, star signs, and included numerology of their names and birthdates. She had tucked each person's reading in a separate folder and slid them into an envelope. 

She didn't know how they would be received, probably with polite thanks and then shoved in a drawer somewhere to never see the light of day again, but at least she had tried. At best they would have fun reading them out to each other and comparing their accuracy to themselves and the family. They often brought fun and interesting talks after. 

She had helped Grandma cook a simple birthday meal for Penelope, one that featured traditional English foods, a plot on her part to get Grandma to allow her to do most of the cooking, being English herself. 

They had settled down in the lounge to drink cocoa and think about opening gifts when EOS interrupted them with a report of a storm in the Bahamas that had stranded some holiday makers. Everyone scrambled, John hitting the desk to start organising and Scott, Virgil and Gordon heading off.

It was another four hours before a very wet and tired crew that stomped back in from their crafts. By that time everyone that had waited up for them was ready to turn in, as were they. EOS had been tasked with monitoring during the night, while they got some much needed rest. 

The next morning was lazy and relaxed, people wandering in to the kitchen at varying times to grab something to eat before slinking off, leaving Selene, Parker and Grandma to handle the cooking. 

It was a constant battle of wills, the sneaky saving of burnt food and distracting of Grandma on the part of Selene and Parker, but eventually they ended up with a mostly edible meal. OK, so the stuffing balls were so rubbery that Alan had tested their bouncing capabilities, the gravy was a bit too thick and a few roast potatoes had been cremated beyond recognition, but she and Parker had managed to introduce everyone but Penelope to the joy that was a Yorkshire pudding, the turkeys weren't too dry and they had more than enough pigs in blankets and mashed potatoes to make up for it. 

It was a comfortably stuffed family that sprawled out on various chairs and couches to open gifts and settle in for a night of movies and eggnog. 

Their choice of gifts were met with much wonder and appreciation, John was wearing his t-shirt, which everyone had found hilarious, and there had been a lengthy discussion over her natal charts, with everyone swapping and reading each others. Brains still couldn't understand how something as random as when you were born could be so accurate as to affect your personality, but he took it with good humour. 

11:45 saw Selene happily snuggled under John's arm, Alan's head in her lap as he dozed, and she had never felt more comfortable in her life. She couldn't have asked for anything more for Christmas. 

She smiled as she turned her head to steal a kiss from her spaceman. No doubt their peace wouldn't last much longer, but until reality forced its way back in she would stay blissfully relaxed, never wanting to move again.


	20. What Happened on New Year's Eve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fun chapter based on writing prompts sent to me by a friend.

"I'm beginning to think this was a very bad idea."

Kayo raised an eyebrow, her seldom seen grin firmly in place. "But it's so much fun to see them like this, think of the blackmail opportunities."

Selene couldn't help but laugh. "You are an evil woman, Miss Kyrano. That's why I'm forcing you to be one of my maids of honour. I'm gonna need all the help I can get."

"Yeah, I'd say I'm flattered but I know the work that's gonna be involved."

Selene opened her mouth to argue, but then shrugged, you couldn't deny the truth. "At least us girls have stayed relatively sober."

"Someone had to," Kayo sipped her rum and coke. "Thankfully Alan is too young to drink, that takes care of one potential problem at least."

Selene raised her tequila sunrise and the girls clinked glasses in a silent toast. She looked around the room at the people surrounding them and felt her heart swell with affection. She loved each and every one of them and would do anything for any of them. 

John was actually relaxed for once, a couple of drinks down and chatting animatedly with Scott and Gordon, their conversation growing louder with each drink consumed. 

Brains was chatting Virgil's ear off, the latter politely nodding along but giving off an aura that said he wished he were anywhere else but there at that moment. As they watched Virgil tipped his head back and drained his beer in one long gulp. Brains was leaning against MAX, the clever robot supporting his creator with one mechanical arm and Selene was pretty sure that was the only thing keeping him upright. 

"How many has Brains had?" she whispered to Kayo. 

"That's only his second, but he doesn't have a very high tolerance for alcohol."

"Ladies," Penelope joined them, a glass of champagne clutched in her perfectly manicured hand. 

"Hi, P," Selene hugged her carefully, always conscious of messing up the lines of whatever tasteful outfit she was wearing that day, then made room for Kayo to do the same. "I'm so glad you two made it back in time."

"We nearly didn't, the King's gala overran frightfully."

"Well, you're here now, that's all that matters. You are staying the night?" 

"I doubt that Parker would be able to take us home now," she glanced to where Parker was cheerfully downing an entire tankard of ale to the cheers and encouragement of Alan. 

"Ah, given him the night off then?" 

"It would appear so," her words were clipped but the affection in her tone said that she really didn't mind. 

"Well, it is New Years Eve after all."

"And your engagement celebration I do believe."

Selene rolled her eyes. "Grandma insisted. Have you ever tried saying no to that lady?" 

Penny sighed delicately. "It is indeed an impossible task."

"Like trying to get John to admit when he's wrong."

"I heard that!" he yelled over his shoulder at her, though she just smiled and blew him a kiss. 

"He loves me really."

"I doubt he'd be marrying you if he didn't," Penelope laughed. "I have to admit, I never thought he'd be the first Tracy to think about getting wed."

"Yeah, surprised us all," Kayo grinned. 

"Should I be insulted by this?" Selene asked mildly, sipping her drink.

"I shouldn't think so," Penelope soothed. 

A sudden yell sounded from the kitchen followed by a crash. 

"This is going to be a long night."

***

"I'd like to propose a toast, to family, old and new," Grandma Tracy nodded at Selene who smiled back, nodding her head in acknowledged of the gesture. "To many lives saved, many battles fought and won. We drink to those who couldn't not be saved, and those who gave their lives to help others. May we be blessed with continual love, laughter and health."

"CHEERS!" 

Everyone sipped their drinks as Grandma switched on the holoprojector to watch the countdown to midnight. 

10...9…8…7...6...5...4…3...2...1

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!" 

"Happy New Year, Star Boy."

"Happy New Year, witchy woman."

Selene stood on her tiptoes wanting a quick kiss for luck but her spaceman had other ideas. An arm looped around her waist and she was yanked closer and dipped low in his embrace as he treated her to a kiss that wouldn't have been out of place in a movie, if not for the fact that he wobbled on the spot and almost dropped her. 

She just about got her feet under her and managed to hold him up at the same time. 

"John Tracy, are you drunk?" 

"No!" he looked horrified at the thought. 

"But are you sober?" she tried to keep a straight face, kissing his jaw to hide her smile as he took a moment to think about it. 

"I am moderately functional." 

She would have believed him if his eyes weren't currently focused on her chest instead of her face. 

"I'll take that as a no."

He blinked slightly unfocused eyes at her, his happy grin infectious. 

"Upon further examination it appears that I may be slightly intoxicated." He held up one hand, index finger and thumb a tiny millimeter apart. "Just a tiny bit." He peered at the gap to make sure it wasn't growing. 

Selene smiled as she wrapped her arms around his middle. "That makes you drunk, my love."

He dipped his head to give her a somewhat sloppy kiss. 

"I'm OK with that." 

He grabbed her hand, launching into a rather uncoordinated dance. 

"Dance with me, it's our engagement party."

She threw a desperate 'help me' look at Kayo, but was ignored. 

"I'm marrying you why?" 

***  
Apparently she had fallen in love with an octopus, because spaceman was suddenly all hands. She escaped his clutches before it became indecent and his Grandma banned her from the house for corrupting her sweet, innocent grandson. 

She'd had no problem promising said Grandma that she'd keep an eye on them all before Grandma wished her goodnight and headed to bed, declaring it too late for her. 

How hard could it be to make sure that serious professionals such as they behaved for a few hours? She'd just get them some snacks and make sure they ate to soak up a bit of the alcohol, it'd be fine. 

She walked into the kitchen and immediately regretted ever making such a vow. She should have stayed in the lounge, because the kitchen was so much worse. 

She stopped dead at the threshold and blinked. OK, who's perfectly round butt was that sticking out of the fridge? It definitely wasn't her spaceman as she'd left him flopped on the couch chatting to Penny. It was definitely too small to be Virgil's and he was still at the piano anyway. It was possible that she shouldn't even be looking…

She cleared her throat and the butt in front of her clenched in shock as chocolate brown hair appeared over the door. 

The butt's owner took a second to compose himself before a silly grin appeared and he ducked back into the fridge, grabbed a few things and popped back up. 

"Do we need more wine?" he helpfully offered her a bottle. 

"No, I need wine, you need to put your pants back on."

She grabbed it and twisted it open, taking a large gulp. 

"But life is so freeing without them," Scott straightened to his full and not inconsiderable height, his expression one of righteousness, his chin raised in determination. The whole thing might have been more intimidating if he had been wearing the jeans he had started the night with, but at least his shirt now covered his boxers. 

"Pants. On. Now." 

She stared him down as his arm slowly inched sideways. Her eyes cut to the counter where a half drunk bottle of whisky stood. 

"Scott, no!" 

He grabbed the bottle, clutching it to his chest like it was his first born. She lunged at him, but as she had learned that boy was fast even when inebriated. He dodged her attack, dove sideways and was gone before she even registered what had happened. 

"Scott! Get back here!" 

"That didn't go according to plan, did it?" 

She glared at Gordon, who innocently stared back, although it was ruined by the fact that he was sipping from a very fruity looking cocktail, slurping on the straw as the green drink vanished from the glass, leaving only chunks of melon behind. 

"What even happened?" 

Gordon shrugged. Her eyes swept the table as she took in the scattered playing cards, peanuts and poker chips. 

"Were you playing strip poker?" 

"He was. I'm still fully dressed."

She gave up, she totally and utterly gave up on all of them. 

"I just want to know how he managed to lose to himself," Gordon mused, his voice now slightly slurred as he took the wine bottle from her hand and topped up his fruit filled glass. 

In the lounge someone began to sing very loudly and out of tune. 

***  
"Damn it, why aren't you obeying the laws of physics?" 

Kayo bit her lip to hold in the laughter that threatened to spill out any second, her face going red with the strain. 

Brains' nose was practically touching the table top as he watched the pencil closely. 

"Roll," he commanded. 

Selene flicked her finger and once again the pencil rolled forwards, stopped then rolled back into its original place. 

"You are a hexagon! You shouldn't be able to do that! Move!" he bellowed with excitement. 

Selene's hand, hidden by the table top, twirled to the left, the pencil copying her movements as it span on the spot. 

Brains blinked. "Why are you doing this to me, pencil? HOW?" 

Selene hid her own smile. It was nice to see him more relaxed, less nervous and his often present stutter almost non existent after a few drinks. 

The pencil stopped again and he tentatively poked it. It remained still, just an ordinary pencil again. 

"Why isn't it moving?" 

"Maybe you should try shouting at it again?" Penelope suggested sweetly, amusement written all over her face. 

"Yes, yes I shall do that. That seems to be the logical thing to do."

He peered closely at the pencil, then let rip. 

"Move!" Nothing. "I said move!" 

The pencil remained still. 

"Damn you, what is wrong with you? Are you turned off?" 

"I know shouting at me would turn me off," Selene commented innocently, provoking a muffled snort of laughter from Kayo. 

"Maybe you should try asking nicely, everything likes that," Virgil suggested, leaning over Brains' shoulder. 

"Really?" Brains couldn't seem to cope with the conflicting suggestions, his mind going into melt down. 

"What a pretty pencil you are," he held out his hand. "Come to Virgil."

The pencil wiggled on the spot. 

"See, I know how to turn things on," this statement was accompanied by an exaggerated wink. 

"Is that so?" Kayo smiled sweetly. 

The pencil rolled happily towards him and he grabbed it, grinned triumphantly. "I command all art materials, no matter the size. They bend to my will." He pointed the pencil at Kayo and booped her on the nose with the rubber tip. "NEVER DOUBT ME AGAIN!" 

He strolled away, taking his new pet pencil with him, offering it a sip of his drink by dunking it into his glass. 

Brains sat back in his chair, looking like someone had just stolen his puppy, devastation written all over his face. 

Taking pity on him, Penelope extracted a pen from her bag and placed it on the table. 

"Maybe this one will work for you."

***

"Why is John floating in the pool?" 

Selene blinked, confused. "Why is he what now?" 

Alan pointed out of the window and yep, there was her love, lying on an inflatable palm-tree, watching the sky. 

She looked down at her half glass of wine. "This will not be enough."

"Need a hand?" 

"Gods yes!" 

She downed the last of the wine in her glass and left the glass in the sink, hurrying out after the youngest. 

Alan was already squatting beside the pool. 

"John? You OK out there?" 

The spaceman waved a vague hand in greeting at his brother. 

"Babe, what are you doing?" Selene had to ask. 

"Floating."

"I see that, but why?" 

"Heavy."

"Heavy?" Selene looked at Alan who shrugged in response. 

"Babe, you can't stay out there."

"Harshing my buzz."

Alan snorted with laughter. "Where did he even pick that up from?" 

"Hey! I went to college, I'm not that much of a social leper!"

"No one said you were a leper!" Selene assured him, nudging Alan with her elbow when he howled with laughter. 

"I know people! I have friends!" 

"Of course you do, darling. No one said you didn't." She speared Alan with a glare but he was immune to it by now. 

"Better than friends, I have the most beautiful woman in the world! I did good!" he paused for a second. "Although she's got an evil mouth." He saluted the stars with his beer. 

"I'm not sure if I should be flattered or insulted right now." 

"Can't argue with the truth," Alan shrugged. 

"I prefer her mouth when it's wrapped around my-" 

"JOHN SHUT UP!" She hid her head in her hands as Alan cracked the fuck up. 

John kicked his feet happily, paddling innocently in a circle. 

"Get out of the pool!"

"No! I like it here. It's too heavy out there."

"Out where?" What was he talking about? 

"On land…gravity…it sucks."

She rolled her eyes. "How about we get you to bed then?" 

His head turned towards her, eyes lit with interest. 

"Only if you come with me. Bring that mouth too."

"I swear, if he drinks at our wedding…" she growled under her breath. "GET OUT OF THE POOL!" 

"Gravity doesn't have to be the only thing that-" 

"JOHN!" 

Alan vanished, coming back with the pool cleaning net. He stretched out the long pole and tried to hook the base of the palm-tree with it. 

"No!" John kicked at the net, his float wobbling dangerously. 

"Stop that, you're gonna drown!" 

Alan poked at the inflatable again, trying to push it towards the side. 

"Get off! Piss off, scrote!"

"Scrote?" 

"Sorry, he learnt that from me."

"What the hell does it even mean?" 

"You don't wanna know."

"I do!" 

"Let's just say it's a less polite way of calling someone a little shit."

"Hey!" Alan smacked at John, who caught the wet net straight to the face. 

"That wasn't very nice," Selene attempted to tell him off as John spluttered indignantly, but she could barely work up the energy. "We really have to get him out of there."

Alan sighed. "Urghh, you're right. You owe me for this." He pulled up his t-shirt. 

"You know you're my favourite, right?"

"I better be," Alan grumbled as he tugged at his shoes. 

"I'll get him!" 

In a blur of motion a very naked Gordon pushed his way past them and ran at the pool. 

"Shit!" 

"My eyes!" Alan wailed as Gordon sailed through the air, landing star fished on a screaming John. The sudden weight of a cannonballing squid was too much for the palm-tree, which folded in on itself with a deflated huff of air, depositing both men into the water. 

"Huh, you didn't tell me it was a full moon tonight," Kayo commented, appearing by Selene's side. 

"AND STAY THE FUCK OUT YOU CREEPY LITTLE DICKHEAD!" 

They all jumped as Scott's yell shook the house. Something hurtled over their heads, landing with a small splash in the pool. 

Alan bent over to look. 

"The Lord yeeteth…"

Selene stared at the small Elf that was no longer on a shelf, but instead floating facedown in the pool. 

"And the Lord Yoinketh away," she finished. "What did he do to piss off Scott?" 

Kayo sipped her beer. "Scott is convinced he's in league with my uncle."

All three nodded sagely, as if that explained everything. 

"He said its been looking at him funny for days."

"Think we should stop those two?" Alan asked. 

John was trying to hold Gordon under water but the little fish was far too strong a swimmer for that, even when he was half a bottle of tequila down and was fighting back, hitting his brother in the face with a plastic palm leaf. 

"You're the one marrying him," Kayo pushed Selene forward. "He's your problem now."

"I'm seriously regretting that decision!" 

***

"How drunk were you last night?" Kayo asked, pouring Gordon a large mug of coffee. 

"Well, I still have my pants on, so not that drunk." Gordon took a grateful gulp, laying his head back down on the kitchen table. 

"Those aren't your pants," a very rumpled, squinty eyed Scott walked in, although at least he was wearing pyjama bottoms even if he was shirtless. 

Gordon lifted his head to look down at the overly long, too tight jeans that covered his lower half. "OK then."

Scott pulled out a chair and collapsed into it, holding out his hand for a cup. Selene took pity on him and handed him one before placing a plate of toast on the table. Nothing too heavy for potentially delicate stomachs. 

Scott sipped carefully, making a face at the food, pushing it as far away as possible without it ending up on the floor. 

Alan sloped in next and after giving Selene his best puppy eyes, received a very English bacon, sausage and egg sandwich for his breakfast. Being the little bugger that he was, he didn't take it away with him, but sat right next to Gordon, so close that the aquanaut couldn't help but inhale the aroma. 

Gordon shoved his chair back and raced from the room, hand over his mouth, stumbling over the pants legs that covered his feet. Alan grinned evilly. 

"You're such a little shit," Selene dropped an affectionate kiss on the top of his head. 

"How's John?" he asked around a mouthful of food. 

"Wishing he'd drowned." 

Alan snorted out a laugh. "I'm sorry, but it was hilariously funny to watch the water rise up and just dump them both out on the side. Gordon trying to karate kick it and falling back in was just a sweet bonus."

"Yes, but dragging him out by his ankle wasn't easy. At least John had the sense to just lie there and not move until I went back for him with a robe. I just wished he'd waited to get out of his wet clothes."

"What was it with all my brothers stripping off last night? Were they trying to scar me for life?" 

"I only half stripped," Scott pointed out between sips. "I would have put my pants back on eventually if Gordon hadn't stolen them."

"I didn't strip," Virgil added, sauntering into the kitchen looking way too bright and breezy for someone that had drunk as much as he had. He took the coffee pot over to the table and poured himself a cup. 

"No, you didn't, so that's at least one positive point you've collected, " Kayo grinned. 

Virgil didn't like that look on her face and mentally rewound the night as he sipped his coffee. Sure, there were a few hazy moments and some minor time lapses, but nothing stood out to him. 

"I regret nothing," he said with total confidence. 

"Because you don't remember what you're supposed to regret." 

Selene was holding in a laugh while Alan and Scott looked at Virgil, as confused as he was. 

"I didn't do anything embarrassing…did I?" His statement trailed off into a question. 

"Not embarrassing, no."

The girls continued to look at him, waiting for the penny to drop. 

"I…"

They waited some more. 

"I got nothing," he slumped, defeated. 

Selene's phone beeped and she clicked to display the message. 

"OK, yeah I gotta go help John get dressed, behave while I'm gone, all of you. I'll check on the squid on the way."

Gordon was moaning from the bathroom but when she knocked on the door and asked if he was OK it opened a crack and his upturned thumb poked out before the door slammed shut. Making a mental note to go back if he wasn't out in half an hour, she went to wrestle her man into some clothes. 

It was a lot harder than she had anticipated. Her normally graceful spaceman was a stumbling, groaning, headachy mess. He stayed lying down while she yanked a soft pair of sweats onto his legs, which honestly was a bit backwards to how they normally did things. 

She grabbed his hands and hauled him up into a sitting position to pull a t-shirt over his head and then popped her sunglasses on his face before dragging him upright and steadying him as he stumbled his way to the kitchen. 

"Are my eyes playing tricks on me?" John paused as they made their slow way through the lounge, dodging around MAX who was making a vague attempt at tidying up.

She shook her head. "Unfortunately not, love. Just ignore them."

She pulled out a chair for him and he melted into it with a groan. 

"Food?" 

He tenderly rubbed his stomach and shook his head, just managing not to gag at the thought of eating anything. 

"Coffee?" 

This time he nodded. 

She took the empty pot from Virgil and put it back in the machine, reloading it and setting it to brew, then snagged a full pot from the second machine. 

Immediately four cups shot out to meet her and she dutifully filled them.

"I knew I was marrying you for a reason."

"Sure, this is why. What woman doesn't want that kind of romance in her life?" 

Scott sniggered. 

Virgil groaned softly, admitting defeat. 

"I give up! What did I do last night?" 

Selene shot Kayo a look. "You didn't tell him?" 

"Was waiting for you."

Selene grinned. "Legend, babe, legend."

Kayo held out her wrist, displaying her comm and pushed a button. A hologram of the lounge appeared, it was a little messy, glasses strewn here and there, bowls of snacks on every surface and some dropped on the floor, but otherwise it seemed normal enough. 

"I don't see a prob-" 

Kayo zoomed in, focusing on the portrait wall. There, under each frame, was a little scribbled caricature drawing. None of them flattering to the person pictured above apart from Virgil's who was drawn as a shirtless, muscle bound, godlike depiction of Hercules. 

Scott's had an overly large mouth, slanted eyebrows and was shaking a fist. 

Gordon's had a mermaid tail and tentacles for arms and appeared to be sunbathing on a rock. 

Alan's was sitting astride a baby rocket and being chased by a ghost. 

John was depicted floating upside down in a bubble, upside down because his head was too large to stay upright and was dragging on the ground. A scary looking Halloween witch was nearly, clearly yelling at him.

Kayo's was the ultimate girly girl, pink frilly dress, pigtails, the works. 

Virgil groaned, dropping his head into his hands. 

"I'm so sorry."

"Oh you're gonna be when Grandma wakes up."


	21. One late night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When one can't sleep you both have to be up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Developed from a writing prompt of "Why are you still awake at 3am?"

"It's nearly three in the morning, why are you up?" Selene made her way slowly over to the desk that she knew had belonged to Jeff. She draped her arms over his shoulders, leaning down to kiss the top of his head. 

John tipped his head back, letting it rest against the soft fullness of her chest, his arms covering hers where they rested across his chest. 

"I like being the only one up sometimes, it's quieter, more like I'm used to."

She nuzzled his neck, dropping a light kiss on the edge of his jaw. "Want me to go back to bed and leave you to your peace?" She'd fallen asleep with him sitting up in bed next to her, quietly reading and woken to a distinct lack of warm, snuggly body beside her. It hadn't been hard to find him. 

"No, you don't count as someone I need peace from."

"Well that's a declaration of love right there." Swinging his chair around she perched herself on his lap. "So what are you working on?" 

He span the chair back to face the desk and tapped the map in front of him, pulling up a few highlighted amber alerts he was obviously keeping an eye on. He had a news channel on in the background, the feed showing nothing more than a run down of the latest celebrity marriage break up, the details of an upcoming event at a botanical garden for charity and the news that Denmark had elected a new Prime Minister. 

"Everything looks fine at the moment," she commented. 

He nodded, tapping a couple more icons and swiped another page out of the way. 

"Do you want to talk about it?" 

"Talk about what?" he made a note on his tablet, not looking up. 

"About why you can't, or don't want to sleep."

He gave her waist a playful squeeze. "Maybe you were snoring and kept me awake."

"Lies!" she hissed in mock horror. 

He smiled but didn't offer any more information. She kept quiet, the news reporter continuing to drone on in the background the only noise in the room. One of the amber alerts blinked out, no longer an issue but he still checked it, obviously trying to distract her from her questioning. Oh how he underestimated her. 

"Local authority dealt with it," he commented absently, almost as if he were talking to himself rather than her as he swiped it away with a wave of his hand, before falling silent again. 

She checked the map feed herself, having grown accustomed to deciphering his icons and notes that seemed to be forever popping up. One caught her eye, a small flashing exclamation mark that he seemed to not have noticed, which was strange in itself. John noticed everything. 

She narrowed her eyes, getting a read on his energy. His was pulled in tight to his body, a sure sign that he was hiding something. 

"You OK, baby?" 

"Hm?" he turned his head to look at her. "Sorry, yes, I'm fine."

"I don't believe you."

"I don't know what to say to that."

"You could start by telling me the truth."

"I am," his eyes slid back to the projection in front of him. 

"Bullshit."

"Excuse me?" 

She unwound his arm from around her waist and got to her feet. 

"I called bullshit."

"Yeah, I heard you."

"Is that it?" 

He shrugged, not knowing what she wanted him to say. 

"OK," she nodded. "Night then."

"Night? Why are you leaving?"

She paused and turned back to face him, arms crossing defensively. "Give me a reason to stay."

"Am I not reason enough?" 

"Oh no, you aren't pulling that one."

"Which one?" 

"You know full well that you are more than enough of a reason to stay. Unless it escaped your notice, you'll know that it's three in the morning and I got up to come and find you because I don't like waking up to find you gone. I miss you, I love you and I worry about you."

He wasn't looking at her, fiddling again with his tablet, but she knew he was listening, he always did.

"You don't need to worry about me."

There is was. Whenever he wanted to avoid a subject he focused on one particular thing she said and ignored the rest. Well it was late and she was far too tired for playing games. 

She stomped back to the desk and slammed her left hand down in front of him. 

"What's that?" 

He barely glanced down. "Your hand."

"That's not what I meant, smart ass." She pointed at her ring finger. "I mean that."

He rolled his eyes at her and she resisted the urge to flick his forehead. Why had she not fallen for an easier man? 

"What is it?" 

"That would be your ring."

"Exactly, that ring is a promise. And, while I can't speak for you, to me that means that I agreed to marry your annoying self. And if I agreed to put aside my aversion to marriage for you, then it means you're pretty special. Did you ever wonder why I was so against marriage?"

"You said witches don't get married."

"Yeah, I lied."

He frowned. "You did?" 

"Well, not technically, we don't get married the way most people do, as I said, I want a handfasting, the legal bit means very little to us. That's the thing, we don't believe a person can belong to someone, or that you should legally own someone because of a piece of paper. A handfasting is a promise, a commitment for as long as love lasts." She leant closer, bracing her weight on her hands as she bent over the desk, refusing to let him ignore her. 

"I never wanted to get married because I didn't want a marriage like everyone else's. I didn't want a relationship where I was just seen as someone's wife, I wanted a partnership and I hadn't found anyone that I felt I could truly be myself with. Then I met you, and you wormed your way into my heart and made me love you."

He opened his mouth to talk but she stopped him. 

"I accepted this ring, which is my promise to marry you, but that's not all it is to me. This is a promise that I will always love you, I will do everything in my power to make you happy, that I will always be open and honest with you, I will always include you in my life, because you are a part of my heart, you are my life. I thought it meant the same for you, that's why I said yes, because I thought we would be different from everyone else. Because I thought you were different."

John paused, letting her words sink in. When he spoke his voice was quieter than she had heard from him in a long time, more unsure of himself, reminding her of the man she had first met. 

"It means the same to me."

She sighed, the anger and hurt draining out of her. "Then why aren't you being honest with me like I am with you? I don't want us to go into this deliberately hiding things from each other and holding back. I want you to be able to talk to me when you need to." 

She dragged a spare chair over and took a seat beside him rather than once again perching on his lap, feeling that they both might need a little distance. 

"There's nothing wrong that I need to talk about."

Giving him a disbelieving eyebrow raise she reached around him and tapped the icon he'd been ignoring. A call log popped up, all showing as being answered by EOS and passed on. 

He slumped in his chair, a frustrated groan escaping."You're way too observant."

"Only when it comes to you, I know you too well. So, what's that?" 

"That's me being an uncaring, selfish asshole."

Both eyebrows lifted in surprise, that was the last thing she'd expected him to say. "Come again?" 

"I'm not repeating myself."

She ignored that. "Babe, why would you even say that let alone think it?" 

He didn't answer straight away, instead he pulled up the details of every call, all helpfully notated by EOS. They were all distress calls, but not the ones she was used to seeing them dealing with. These were all from cellular devices and all had been passed on to hotlines and charities around the world. 

"They are worse around the holidays, probably go up ten fold, and…and I just couldn't face dealing with them this year. Since EOS it's been easier to take a break now and then."

"Good, I'm glad you let her help. You all give so much -too much probably- and you need time to live your lives, to do things for you, not for the rest of the world. You're entitled to a break, you all are. There's nothing wrong with that."

"Yes, there is. Because it's my job to be there, it's my job to be available when someone needs help, not to pass them over without even talking to them."

She sighed, shaking her head. "Sweetheart, there must be at least fifty calls logged there-" 

"Sixty-Eight."

"And there is no way you could have talked to each and every one of those people even if you had been there. This isn't on you. Yes, it's your job to make sure that people get help when they need it, but you did that."

"It doesn't feel that way."

She took his hand, kissing his knuckles one at a time before lacing their fingers. "Darling, answer me this, when a call comes in, a normal call, what do you do?" 

He frowned, pulling his hand away to rake his fingers through his hair, his frustration with her evident. "You know what I do, you've been there."

"Humour me?" 

He huffed out a put upon sigh but did as he was asked. 

"The system flags and registers the call, I or EOS connect with the caller and ascertain if it's something we need to get involved with or if a local authority can handle it."

"And if it is a job for you guys?" 

"We decide who is best suited to deal with the situation, which craft and equipment to take and how to proceed. You know this!" 

"Yes, I do, and so do you."

"So you got me to say it why?" 

"John, I love you, you are just about the smartest person I've ever met, but you can be so dumb sometimes."

"You really need to work on your compliments."

"I hadn't finished, annoying man."

"Then please, continue to berate me."

She ignored that. "Think about it, think about what you just told me. You assess the situation, and you pass it on to the person most able to deal with it. Right?" 

"I believe I just said that."

"And when did you get psychiatric training or become a counsellor? When did you train in mental health? Because it seems to me like the best option you have is to pass them on to those whose job it actually is to deal with that kind of situation."

"But I…"

"No, witchy is talking now. You shhh." She kissed him softly to take the sting out of her words but also to prevent him answering back. "I know you, and I know that you would do everything you could to help anyone, but baby, you have to help yourself too. Because you're just as important. You can't keep giving everything of yourself and not take time to top back up, or you'll end up empty with nothing left to give."

He slumped in his chair and she climbed back onto his lap, letting him wrap his arms around her waist as she hugged him tight. 

"I'm not good at dealing with my own emotions, let alone other people's. I'm not like you, I'm not naturally open. I can't just talk to someone and know exactly the right thing to say."

Selene snorted in disbelief. "Believe me I wasn't always like this and I don't always know what to say or do. But I do trust my instincts and they very rarely let me down. The fact that I can talk to people now is down to years of practice. You have natural gifts, and so do I. One of mine just happens to be sensing emotions in people and having a feeling about them that is more often than not, right. I see their aura, I feel their energy and I get an echo of how they are feeling if I let myself open up enough. All of this is skills that I've honed over years of practice."

"Do you ever find it draining?" 

She shrugged. "Of course I do, I think everyone does, just some of us more than others."

"I always find it draining, interacting with people in general really, but I do it because it needs to be done, although I will probably always avoid it if I can. But I feel so guilty about letting EOS field those calls, for avoiding all those people that needed someone. I didn't want it to ruin the holidays for us, all I wanted was for us to have a peaceful Christmas together and that was selfish of me." 

"Babe, it's not selfish to need a time out. You of all people could never have a selfish bone in your body. It's not selfish to need some self care, it's sensible. Let's face it, we're never going to have a peaceful anything, it's just life."

He went quiet again, his forehead resting against hers. What had she said wrong? 

"Baby, talk to me, don't make me drag it out of you." 

He was silent for so long she thought she'd have to get tough again, but then he spoke. 

"I'm sorry."

She frowned, confused. 

"Why? You don't have to be sorry for." 

He didn't answer. 

"John?" she cupped his chin gently, urging his head up to look at her. She hated seeing pain and indecision in his eyes. Her poor love. 

"We're not going to have a normal life, we're never going to be able to plan anything or have any chance at a peaceful life. My life is crazy, my family life is crazy, we have the world's most dangerous job that is always on call. You deserve so much better." He spoke quietly, hesitantly and she couldn't stand it. How could she make this better? It hurt her heart to hear him speak that way. How could he ever think that that mattered to her?

"Sweetheart, I knew all of that before our first date. We met because I was stuck in a tree, I'm anything but normal, and I never expected a normal life, even before I met you. But now that I have you I'm not letting you go. So we won't have vacations or weekend breaks away, you live on an island, where could we go that's better than that anyway?" She sighed, hugging him tighter. "I'd rather have you in my life, in any form that life takes and with all that comes with it, than not have you at all."

"You say that now, but what about in a few years time when you haven't had a break, when our life is one disaster after another, literally. When you get sick of living surrounded by my family."

"That's not going to happen, you know I love you all. And if we both need a night alone, we have my place."

His arms squeezed her tighter. "What if I'm not good at being a husband? What if you realise what a mess I am? An emotionally stunted idiot that keeps fucking up with you." 

She was stunned. How could he possibly see himself in that way? 

"Baby, how long has this shit been churning around in that big brain of yours?" She smoothed the hair back from his forehead, fingers caressing the little curl that she loved so much. "You should know you can never fuck up with me."

"A while," he admitted. "A month or so, maybe longer."

"Yet you still asked me to marry you? Why? You didn't need to, I definitely wasn't expecting it. The lack of proposal wouldn't have changed anything between us." 

"Because I love you."

"I love you too, and that's all that matters. Everything else will work itself out. You know what will make you the perfect husband?" 

He shook his head. 

"Just keep being you, because I love you just the way you are. You don't need to do anything different. You don't see how amazing you are, just how fucking special and perfect. I didn't fall in love with just one part of you, I fell for all of you. I don't want or need you to change."

"What if this job gets too much and gets between us?"

"How can it, when I'm planning on being right there by your side? I'm part of the team now, so it's my job too. We all have strengths, and I'll be there to help you in any way I can, I'll be your emotional support witch. I'll be there for the tough calls, I'll be there when you all have a bad day and need taking care of. I'll be there to celebrate with you all when it's been a good day and commiserate when things have gone to shit. I'll be there to support you and comfort you, but I'll also be there to kick your butt when you need it. Because I love you." 

"How am I going to cope with worrying about you out on rescues as well as my idiot brothers?" 

She smiled, kissing the tip of his nose. "You'll just have to trust that I'm not an idiot and that I won't put myself in unnecessary danger."

He groaned, but it finally sounded a little more cheerful. 

"You're going to drive me insane, aren't you?" 

"Probably about as much as you will me."

His fingers traced the curve of her cheek and she leant into the caress, smiling when his thumb lightly brushed her lower lip. 

"Kiss me." 

She was powerless to resist his request, allowing him to guide her closer with the gentle pressure of a finger under her chin. 

She kissed him softly, feathering her lips against his, soft pecks that grew in intensity, lips lingering on his, unwilling to let him go too soon. She tried to pull back but he wouldn't let her, his fingers burrowing their way into her hair, holding her in place with a firm but gentle hand. 

Her mouth curved into a smile, voice muffled as she spoke mid kiss. "I love you."

He didn't answer with words, but his actions were enough. He pulled her closer, deepening their kiss, his tongue parting her lips to dip inside and tangle with her own. 

The kiss became something more than just a meeting of lips, it was a declaration of support, commitment and love. 

Breaking away slightly breathless, they took a second, their foreheads resting together. She rubbed her nose against his, dropping a few tiny little pecking kisses on his luscious mouth, just because it was there and deliciously tempting, before she pulled back. 

Selene lifted herself up off his lap. "Now you are going to turn all that off and trust EOS to do her job, and wait on the couch for me while I go and make us some cocoa." 

***

Selene almost screamed when she found Virgil lurking in the stairway that led to the kitchen, stopping herself just in time before she woke up the whole house. She clutched her chest, trying to prevent her heart from escaping. 

"Is he OK?" he whispered. 

She nodded. "I'm taking care of him," she whispered back. 

She mimed a drink and he shook his head, pointing back up to the bedrooms. "I was finishing a painting and saw his bedroom door open and that you were both gone."

"And you got worried?" 

"Little bit."

She nodded and opened her arms, giving him a brief hug before letting him go. 

"I got him, you head to bed, we won't be far behind."

He ambled off and she continued to the kitchen where she made them a couple of drinks. Returning to the lounge and John, she was pleased to see that he had done as she'd asked and vacated the desk, though he had yet to put his tablet down. 

She cleared her throat, trying not to laugh when he jumped guiltily and quickly turned it off. 

She handed him a mug and curled up on the couch beside him, lifting his arm to wrap it around her shoulders. 

***

John glanced down at Selene, her head heavy against his shoulder. They had been talking quietly for more than an hour but she had slowly wound down, her pauses between responses growing longer, until she had passed out. 

He gathered her into his arms and pulled her onto his lap, holding her close for a few minutes, just enjoying the feel of her so warm and solid in his embrace. 

He rested his chin on top of her head, his mind turning over the events of the night. She always challenged him in ways he could never anticipate. She was right, she knew him better than he realised, and she never let him get away with anything. Honestly, he'd been kidding himself thinking he could hide his worries from her. 

He sighed, giving her a little squeeze of appreciation, even though she wasn't awake to acknowledge it. He hated to admit it but he did feel better after talking to her, the knot that had taken up permanent residence in his chest had loosened, allowing him to breathe fully for the first time in a week. 

He couldn't help how his brain worked sometimes, how it just ran away with him, letting all his insecurities and anxiety get the better of him. Truth be told he was still half expecting to wake up one morning and realise that it had all been some elaborate fantasy dream that his lonely mind had conjured up. He'd be in his bunk on Five, and he'd have no warm, welcoming witch to nag at him, to demand and yell, yet make his life richer for her presence in it. She looked after him even when he didn't want or appreciate it, she forced him to do things he didn't even know he needed. And she did it all with unwavering good humour and patience. 

He was so lucky to have her. He knew she didn't believe in marriage the way he did, and he certainly wouldn't see it as ownership, but being able to show the world that she was his, that he was worthy of her was a desire he hadn't been able to shake. 

He was just glad that she had taken it all in her stride and, much as he was loathe to admit it, glad that she had forced him to talk it out with her. It was relief to have his fears put to rest. 

But with that relief came the bone deep tiredness that he'd been ignoring the last few days. He should try to sleep and she'd be much more comfortable in bed. 

Cradling her against his chest he got to his feet, shifting her weight to hold her more securely, carrying her carefully to his room. He paused at the door, looking around the room, filled with a lifetime of his belongings. From academic awards, sports trophies to projects, bookshelves full of text books and numerous classics, star charts on the walls and select few childhood toys. She had a couple of her person items scattered around, but that was it. It was still his room. He should change that, show her that she was truly a part of his life and a member of the family. He made a mental note to talk to Scott and Virgil about taking her shopping to get things to redecorate with, to put her own stamp on the place. 

He laid her gently down on her side of his bed and climbed in beside her, pulling her close again. She settled instantly, curling close against his side, her arm sliding around his waist, her head on his chest. 

He picked up a strand of her hair to play with, letting the peacefulness he always felt when near her steal through him, sleep finally dragging him down into restful darkness. They could do this, they had each other.


	22. A night up west.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Based on a writing prompt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is all about the Virg, and who doesn't love a bit of time with the big guy?

"This is going to be so amazing, I just love this music. It's some of my favourites."

"You should take Virgil instead, he'll love it," John didn't even glance up from the book he was reading. 

Selene looked at the two tickets that had been gifted to her in lieu of payment for a reading she had done. 

"Really? You sure? You wouldn't mind me taking him instead?" 

John frowned, lifting his head to look at her. "Why would I mind? I love to see you happy, but this is more his thing than mine, besides he deserves a relaxing evening."

Selene couldn't resist taking his face in her hands and guiding him in for a kiss. 

"What was that for? Not that I'm complaining, feel free to indulge whenever the mood takes you."

She kissed him again. "You are simply the most amazing man I've ever met."

"Thank you?"

He had absolutely no clue what he'd done to deserve such praise, she could tell. And that was part of why she loved him so much, the fact that he didn't realise that he was the most selfless, understanding and amazing man. If anything was important to John it was the security of knowledge, and when he knew something to be a fact then he never believed otherwise. He knew she loved him, he knew she only wanted him, and so jealousy and suspicion just wasn't on his radar.

He was such a refreshing change from the men she had previously dated or the ones her friends still did. He didn't mind if she went out with friends or his brothers, he never got jealous, he never accused her of anything and he didn't get shitty with her when she was affectionate. For years she'd had to school herself in social situations, learning to keep her hands to herself and not hug everyone that needed it, to not call everyone by a nickname and not just say exactly what she was thinking, just in case she upset a friend or partner. She was too friendly, too touchy, too affectionate, too honest. If her partner wasn't glaring at her for daring to hug someone that wasn't them, it was someone else thinking she was trying to muscle in on their territory. When really, she was just being herself. 

"Have I told you lately, just how much I love you, Mr Tracy?" 

"Not since breakfast, no."

"How remiss of me, I shall have to rectify that immediately."

He put down his book and turned to face her. "Then you have my full attention."

She couldn't help but smile loving his playfully serious ways. She slid onto his lap, winding her arms around his neck. 

"I love you, more than anything."

He grinned, then booped her on the nose. "Good."

Her mouth dropped open in mock horror as he picked up his book again. "You're so evil to me!" 

"Well, you are going out on a date with my brother." 

***

"Hey, He-Man, you ready to roll?" She was wearing a slightly more sedate dress than the one she had worn to Penelope's ball. This was was more of a gothic 1950's grease style number, in dark purple with black lace here and there. Little black shoes with tiny silver bats on them completed the look. 

She was suddenly grabbed from out of nowhere and swooped up into a bone crushing hug. She squeaked in shock and flailed uselessly for a few seconds but nothing could break a Virgil grip and she gave up, hugging him back. 

"Thank you so much for this. It's one of my favourite composers and conductors, these tickets sold out months ago."

"Put her down, Virg, you'll break her and then you'll have to explain it to John."

Laughing, Virgil lowered her to the floor and released her, turning to face his youngest brother. 

"There, she's down and still in one piece."

She straightened her skirt and took her first look at her date for the night. 

"Damn boy, look at you, you scrub up well." She smoothed the lapels of his suit and tucked the tickets into his pocket, letting him do the man thing of being in charge for the night. "Who knew they made suits with shoulders that wide."

He grinned that delightfully Virgil smile of his, the one that was part embarrassed at the compliment, part pride at the fact he got one and that modesty he always had about him. She'd made it her mission to make sure that every one of them heard how awesome they were on a daily basis, because they deserved it. 

"You two ready to go?" 

"Sure, and thanks for the ride, Allie, it would look a bit suspicious to have 'Two parked outside."

"But think of the service you'd get."

"Little 'un has a good point there."

"We don't need that kind of attention," Virgil laughed. "Come on, we don't want to be late."

Alan piloted the little four seater aircraft like he did everything else, effortlessly and as if he were doing nothing more taxing than eating a slice of toast. 

Alan dropped them off as close to the outskirts of London as he could and for fun and quickness they took the underground to Oxford Circus. 

It was fun to watch just how oblivious Virgil was to all the admiring glances he was getting, both male and female. He just chatted happily to her about his latest project he'd been working on with Brains, relaxed in his seat, showing no sign that he was even hearing the side comments and muttered compliments. It was a refreshing change of pace from the people she usually went out with. 

She wasn't one to ever really feel nervous walking the streets of her city, but she couldn't help but feel incredibly safe and protected with the largest Tracy walking beside her, her arm tucked into the crook of his elbow as they strolled from the station to the Palladium. 

It was a little strange, though by no means unpleasant, to be out alone with Virgil. She adored him, as she did all the boys, but he was definitely the one she knew the least about. The younger boys she was very close with, spending numerous hours in binge watching sessions with them, attempting to play video games with Alan (she was crap and he always beat her) and making up silly song and dance routines with Gordon. Scott was her partner in crime, the one she could just hang out with, share a drink and enjoy the same taste in music with. For someone as energetic and sometimes highly strung as Scott he was surprisingly chill and laid back when he wanted to be and she found that he was the one she could relax completely with. Kayo was cool to hang with, but she wasn't around that much to really get to know and even then she wasn't much for small talk but if you wanted someone to sit in comfortable silence with, she was your girl. 

But Virg was a bit of an enigma to her. He was always friendly, affectionate and cheerful with her, always willing to chat and to hang out, but there always seemed to be just a tiny bit of distance between them that she didn't feel with the others. It had taken her a while to figure out that it was probably because they very rarely, if ever, spent any time alone together, not ever having had the need to. Maybe John was more sensitive to things than he let on, because really this evening out was going to be great for them. 

They handed their tickets to the doorman who scanned them and then submitted to pocket and bag checks before being allowed entrance. Selene hadn't actually been to the London Palladium before, although it was a very famous theater and quite old. 

Her breath caught in her throat as they entered through the large doors and stepped into the lobby. Decorated in rich red carpets, cream walls and gold handrails and detailing, it was just as she'd always seen it on television with her Grandparents. 

"You OK, Sel?" 

"Huh? Yeah, fine, why?" 

"You're gripping my arm really tight."

"Oh, sorry," she loosened her hold, trying to slide her hand away but he clamped his arm to his side, preventing her from pulling away. 

"I don't mind, I wasn't complaining." He settled her hand back on his arm more securely, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Beautiful isn't it? I've always wanted to come here but never managed to until tonight." 

"Same, it was somewhere that my grandparents loved and we always said we'd visit, unfortunately we never got the chance."

They showed their tickets to the smartly dressed usher and followed her to their seats, nicely placed six rows from the stage, to the left hand side of the middle block. They possessed one aisle seat and she let Virgil take it, if he was anything like Scott he'd want to know that he could leave easily if an emergency call came. 

Virgil stumbled slightly as he took his seat, head tipped back to gaze with unblinking eyes at the ceiling of the concert hall. 

"This is stunning," he whispered in awe, eyes darting this way and that, trying to take in everything at once. 

The large stage was framed with gold columns that matched seamlessly with the elegant plasterwork of the ceiling, stretching down to encase the outside of the private boxes set into the walls and that of the circle seats. Heavy gold curtains draped artistically, blending with the gilt work of the sconces, the chandeliers and the gold leaf of the plaster. The seating was a sea of red velvet upholstery that stretched out behind them. 

Up on stage the instruments of the orchestra were already arranged and she could tell he was cataloguing them with an experienced eye. Honestly he had surprised her more than any other Tracy bar John himself. Anyone looking at Virgil would likely assume that he was the dumb jock type, the heavily muscled, thick headed one that barely had two brain cells to rub together, but he was so far removed from that stereotype it was a blur in the distance. 

Virgil was a mass of contradictions in the best possible way, quick witted and lively of tongue when he wanted to be, but with a serious side that you wouldn't believe unless you witnessed it first hand. He looked like all he'd enjoy would be action movies and watching sports, but then he'd settle his large frame in front of his piano and pour his heart and soul into playing the most beautiful music you would ever hear. 

You'd look at his muscles and big hands and never believe that they were capable of doing anything that required any amount of precision or delicacy. Yet then you'd see the way his paintbrush danced across his canvas with soft strokes, or watch his pencil fly effortlessly across his sketch pad, and you'd know that you were completely and utterly wrong. 

Selene and Virgil chatted quietly as the seats around them continued to fill, the noise in the massive room growing so loud they had to give up all attempts at conversation, lapsing into comfortable silence. 

Selene could practically feel the excitement vibrating through her companion and she smiled to herself, it was great to see him so happy about something other than a new gadget for his 'bird or a new book from Kip Harris. 

The lights dimmed and a hush fell over the audience, the silence almost eerie, the thrill of anticipation in the air. 

The orchestra slowly began to file in, taking their seats section by section. Virgil recognised a few of them and whispered their names and credentials to her with the authority of a true fan. They all picked up their instruments and as one looked to the side of the stage. 

The conductor, Marco Bianchi strode from the wings with a commanding air, full of confidence in himself and the musicians he was about to lead. He stood before the audience and the house lights flared to life as he took a bow to the cheering of the crowd. He turned to his orchestra and tapped his baton once in preparation, rising his arms. She heard Virgil's sharp intake of breath, felt him hold it as Bianchi's hands twitched and then began to move. 

The first notes hit the air and she felt him shudder in pure joy, exhaling in a rush. She turned to watch him, the look on his face one she would never forget. 

She recognised the tune, knew it almost as well as she knew her own name, invoking childhood memories that were so precious to her. She hummed along, following the ebb and flow of the melody. 

She jumped when his hand clasped hers, but it was as if he wasn't even registering her presence, totally unaware of his surroundings, of anything but the magic playing out before them. 

She squeezed his hand, moving slightly to let him link their fingers. He had the rough, strong hands of the engineer that he was, his thumb rubbing back and forth against her skin, but she didn't mind a bit.

She thought he'd drop her hand when he realised what he'd done, or at the very least when it came time to applaud, but he didn't. He was lost to everything but the notes in the air, his eyes taking in everything, the conductors graceful gestures and the movements of the musicians as they became one with the music they played. Virgil's body swayed with them, mimicking their actions as if he were part of it himself. 

One epic song flowed into another, charting a history through some of Barry Gray's most loved compositions, the music conjuring up accompanying images in her head. The last notes hung in the air for a second of two, suspended in time before the audience roared their approval. 

She turned to look at him, the first half having been amazing, she couldn't wait for the second. His eyes were misty with emotions she wasn't used to seeing from him and she had the urge to hug him. 

It took him a moment to come back to the present, blinking to regain his focus. His eyes glanced down at their joined hands and he dropped hers like a hot potato. 

"Can I just…undo that? Pretend it never happened?" 

"Nope."

"Oh man, because that was really embarrassing."

"Yep," she grinned and he groaned pathetically. "Oh, I'm joking, it's fine. There's absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about."

"Sorry, it's just…it got to me a little. I didn't realise I reached out like that."

"You really didn't have to explain yourself to me, not about this, or anything ever. It's emotional, I understand that perfectly."

His smile was hesitant at first, just a twitching of his lips at the corner of his mouth, but it bloomed full force when she wrapped her arms around his and lent her head against his shoulder. 

"I don't usually get this drawn in, it's just, this music-" his wrist watch beeped and he frowned. She let go of his arm, sitting up to allow him to slide his jacket sleeve out of the way. 

"What's wrong? Is that John?" 

"No, it's Penelope," he touched the screen and a small holographic head and shoulders appeared. 

"Ah, Virgil, it is you. I thought I recognised you."

"Recognised me?" 

"Look up, eleven o'clock."

They both looked upwards towards the private boxes to the left side of the stage. The beautiful blonde agent waved from her lofty perch. 

"Do come and join me, won't you? I've plenty of room and a wonderful view." 

Virgil glanced at Selene, one eyebrow raised in question, this was their night and she had been the one to invite him, he didn't want to make any decisions for her. Selene shrugged and nodded, she didn't mind joining Penelope to keep her company. 

"Sure, we'd love to."

"Excellent, I'll send Parker to escort you."

The hologram blinked off as she cut the connection. 

"You don't mind do you?" Virgil pushed, needing to make sure Selene wasn't annoyed. 

"Of course not, why would I mind?" 

"Well, you were the one that said, and I quote 'Hey, Chonktastic Two, wanna come? We can have bonding time, it'll be our date night' I didn't want to ruin our night out together if you wanted it as just the two of us."

Awww, bless his chonky heart. 

"We've already spent half the night together and we'll be travelling home together too, I'm sure we can spare Penny a little time and keep her company."

"OK," he nodded, "let's head up then." 

***

"Thanks, Parker," Virgil took the fancy craft beer the older man offered him. 

"It's so nice to see you two without an emergency being involved."

Selene and Virgil were settled in the front row of the box, which contained six seats, two rows of three. Selene lent over the balcony a little more, taking in the sight of so many people below them and the stage so close. Penny was right, the view was amazing. 

Leaving Virgil and Penny to chat she took out her phone and snapped a picture of the view and one of the stage, knowing that Virgil wouldn't think to do it and that he'd enjoy the memories. Virgil, she had learnt, was one of the more sentimental of the brothers. He had a memory box filled with random objects and mementos, all of which reminded him of events and special occasions. That had been one of the reasons she had let him take the tickets, he'd want to keep them. 

On a whim she moved closer to V and Penelope, leaning an elbow on his knee as she draped herself across his lap and turned the camera to face them. 

"Smile," she demanded, laughing when they both dutifully paused their conversation to smile for the camera. "Thanks."

She went to move back to her seat when a meaty arm slung itself around her shoulders, pulling her closer. Virgil squashed his cheek against hers and she took the hint, lifting the phone to snap another selfie, loving the huge grin on his face. He was so adorable she couldn't resist smacking a kiss to his cheek when he let her go. 

"Oh, it's starting," he yelped practically bouncing in his seat. He clapped loudly as Bianchi returned to his spot before his orchestra. 

Once again he became instantly absorbed with the music, his laser like focus trained on everything. He leaned forward, his arms resting on the balcony in front of them, unaware of anything else around him. Selene and Penelope shared a little smile over his head, pleased to see him so happy. 

The sound seemed so much richer from their new position, the notes crystal clear, seeming to carry on the air, hanging suspended for long seconds before floating away. 

The concert was one of those things that seemed to last only a split second, over far too soon. She was a little surprised that they hadn't played the most famous piece, and rather disappointed. She could tell Virgil was too. 

The audience was clapping madly and demanding an encore…then it happened. 

The opening bars had both her and Virgil -along with almost all the audience- screaming in delight. Once again he grabbed her hand, tighter this time, holding on for dear life. She scrambled to grab her phone one handed, pointing it at the stage to record the epic moment. 

They both hummed along with the soaring notes and rousing beat, the music summoning the accompanying images as if by magic. 

The last note died away and the entire theater was on its feet as one, erupting into thunderous applause that shook the foundations. Virgil leapt up too, his grip on her hand dragging her with him. It was only when he tried to clap he realised and let go, though this time he wasn't the slightest bit embarrassed, his arm sliding around her waist to pull her in for a one armed hug. 

They waited with Penelope while Parker left to fetch FAB1, letting most of the audience file out, not wanting to get caught in the crush. They politely refused a ride, knowing that Alan would likely already be waiting for them and that it would be quicker by tube. She was a London native now and knew to never take a car if it could be helped. 

They said their goodbyes, promising to join Penny for any more performances she needed company for and headed in the direction of the tube station. 

They regretted their decision about three minutes into their walk when the heavens opened. London was a city that never slept, the streets always busy even late at night, so it was quite eerie to see them suddenly empty as people ran this way and that to escape the downpour, disappearing into buildings to take cover. The noise of the rain muffled everything else, the swish of car tyres on the road, their footsteps, even the sound of planes overhead. It was for that reason that it took so long for her ears to register the noise. 

"What's that?" Selene stopped dead, refusing to go any further. 

"What's what?" Virgil asked, his head bowed against the onslaught, raindrops dripping off the end of his nose and his usually perfectly coiffed hair plastered flat to his head. 

"That noise, I heard something."

Virgil frowned, listening too. "Are you sure?" 

She nodded, huddling deeper into her shawl although it was already soaked through. She knew he wanted to keep moving, but something told her to stop. They both listened and she heard it again, a tiny, high pitched sound. 

"There it is again!" 

"I didn't hear anything."

"I'm positive that I heard something."

"If you're sure…" he pulled up the sleeve of his soaked jacked and pressed a button on his watch. Two small rods shot out, just like the ones from Kayo's comm, a small holographic light glowing between them. "Scanning now." He moved his arm this way and that, not finding anything. "Nothing."

"Please try again, please."

He nodded and started another sweep, this time he lowered his arm. The comm beeped, and a faint life sign flicked on the screen for a second. 

"There, you got something."

"Mmm…" he adjusted the scanner slightly and this time the symbol stayed lit. "Got it." He followed the signal, moving slowly until the beeping became a steady drone. 

"Ah, damn."

They both looked at the grate that covered the hole in the ground. Selene crouched down, uncaring as to how wet she now was. The noise was louder now, a pathetic little squeaking coming from the drain. 

"I can't see it, but it's definitely there."

"Let me try."

Virgil lowered himself to the ground, stretching full out on the wet pavement, probably ruining his expensive suit, but he seemed not to care at all. He craned his neck, trying to see into the dark hole. Shifting slightly he wedged his arm through a gap, using the light of his watch as a torch. 

"I see it!" 

"What is it?" 

"It's a cat."

"Oh my gods, we have to help it. Virgil we can't leave it, we have to get it out. Please don't make me leave it."

He turned his head, looking at her in disbelief. "Of course we aren't leaving it, I'd never do that, let alone ask you to."

"Thank you," she sighed with relief. 

"Hold on, kitty, we're coming."

He rose to his knees and got a good grip on the grate, tugging hard, but it wouldn't budge. 

"No good. We're gonna have to try something else." 

He fiddled with his shirt sleeve and handed her one of his cufflinks. She looked at it like it was about to explode. "Same deal as John's?" 

"Yep. I'll hold this to stop it falling, you get cutting."

"Me? Fuck no, I'll hold, you cut."

"Sel, it's heavy, and not that I think you're a weak woman, but you won't be able to hold this."

"What if I fuck up and like, slice your hand off or something?" 

The cat mewed again, louder this time, tearing at her heart. 

"Don't aim for my hand then, come on, we don't have time to argue. You can do this, I trust you."

"What if I don't trust myself?" she muttered under her breath, but hunkered down next to him. Virgil adjusted his position, moving into a deadlift squat and gripped the metal bars firmly. 

"OK, go. Do it."

She aimed at the ground beside the grate and squeezed the sides of the cufflink, yelping when the laser shot out. It took her a second to adjust her aim and get used to the way its line of light moved before she trusted herself enough to point it at the metal. 

It was actually easier than she had thought it would be, she didn't bother trying to do fancy aim work, just shuffled her way around its perimeter, trusting that V would know what she was doing and adjust accordingly. Of course he did so with perfect timing, twisting his hands to keep his grip and repositioning when needed. 

"Last bit," she warned. 

"Yeah. I can feel it shifting."

"Be ready." 

"I always am."

She let the laser run over the last corner and back to her starting point. She heard his grunt of effort as the metal dropped a few centimetres before he caught it, his wide shoulder muscles straining the material of his jacket as he heaved it aside and laid it carefully on the ground, not wanting to trap his fingers. 

Selene tucked the cufflink in his jacket pocket and dropped to the ground, her head already in the hole they had made, trying to see the cat. Virgil shone his watch light down inside and she spotted the bedraggled thing huddled further down the drain, perched precariously on a ledge of some sort. 

She stretched out a hand but was nowhere near close enough. She had no other choice. 

"Hold on to me, I'm trusting you, muscles!" 

"Don't worry, I got you." 

His big frame lowered to straddle her legs, his hands firmly on her hips. 

She shuffled forward, her shoulders clearing the hole but the cat was still out of reach. 

"Lower me a bit further."

"Hang on."

His weight left her legs, but he kept hold of her waist. She only had a second to wonder what he was planning before she yelped in shock as he lifted her legs up into the air and lowered her into the hole. She tried not to panic, reminding herself that she trusted him not to let her go. 

She was in darkness now, his body looming over her blocking out any light and she relied on touch. Praying for strength and a strong antibacterial gel she ran her hands down the slimey sides, not wanting to knock the cat off its perch. Relying on memory she closed her eyes and stretched out. Her fingers brushed wet fur.

"Please don't be a rat, please don't be a rat," she chanted as she felt around, locating what felt like the front paws of the animal. The poor thing was terrified, its body shaking beneath her fingers but it didn't pull away. With one last stretch she hooked her hand around the little body and lifted it off its ledge. As soon as it was clear she held it firmer, using both hands now. 

"Got it, pull me up, pull me up!" 

Instantly she was hauled upwards, her bottom half being lowered to the ground as her head cleared the hole, allowing her to get her feet under her and stand on her own. 

"Awww, look at that baby," the big softy cooed, scooping the bundle of fluff out of her hands to cuddle it to his chest. 

They were both soaked to the skin, wet clothes clinging to their shivering bodies but the sight of the small cat nestled in his arms made it all worth it. 

***

"What took you so long?" Alan complained as the bedraggled pair finally appeared beside the little plane.

"Sorry, sorry," Selene gasped, both of them slightly out of breath from running across the airfield. "We couldn't get on the train so had to catch a cab, and with all the rain there was none around, so we started walking and finally caught one and here we are."

"Why couldn't you get on the train? And why are you both covered in mud?" 

"We had to perform a daring rescue!" 

"Seriously?" Alan goggled at them. "A rescue? What happened?" 

Virgil climbed into the plane to get out of the rain and she followed. Once the door was closed Virgil slowly opened his jacket, revealing the cat that was snuggled cosily against his chest. 

"Oh my god! Is that a cat?" 

"Yep," Selene reached over to stroke the little purring ball of fluff. "It was stuck down a drain."

The cat uncurled itself when it heard her voice and rubbed its head against her hand. Now that it was a little warmer and dryer they could see that it was a silver tabby, a little underweight and scrawny and a tad older than they had first thought. It was muddy and needed a good brush, some food and lots of cuddles but it didn't appear to be injured in any way although Selene insisted on lifting it out of his arms and inspecting it carefully. 

"It's a boy," she announced after getting an eye full of boy bulge. The cat didn't seem to be insulted by this inspection if his continued purring was any indication. "He looks like he's been a stray for a while, possibly all his life as we checked him for microchips but didn't find one. You know we're keeping him, right?" 

"Yeah, I know," Virgil couldn't help but smile, reaching out to stroke the cat, who climbed over to settle back on his lap with a yawn. "I mean, we're obliged to post a notice online to alert anyone who might have lost him, but I doubt anyone will come forward."

"John's never going to let you two out alone again."

"Why, doesn't he like cats?" she couldn't imagine such a thing could be possible, but you never knew. 

"He's not particularly fond of animals as pets," Alan informed her with a shrug. "He said that having four brothers was enough effort without adding a demanding animal to the mix."

Selene's eyes widened in horror. "So you guys never had pets?" 

Both Virgil and Alan shook their heads. 

"Well, you're all going to have to get used to it, because this little guy isn't going anywhere."

Alan laughed. "What are you going to name him then?" 

She looked at the cat, curled up comfortably on Virgil. "Armstrong, even John can't argue with that name."

"Hey, Armstrong," Alan greeted, starting up the plane. "Let's go home and introduce you to everyone."

***

"What is that?" 

"A cat."

John rolled his eyes. "I can see that, but why do you have it?

"Because we do, we adopted him, his name is Armstrong, look how gorgeous he is." 

Selene held the straggly, damp, muddy thing up to his face and he took a step back out of claw range should the little beast decide to swipe. 

"Gorgeous? Are you sure?" 

"Of course I'm sure," she cradled the furball protectively in her arms. "He just needs a wash and brush, some tasty food and a nap and he'll be fine."

She and Virgil, whom John was seriously thinking about disowning, vanished with the cat, leaving him staring after them. 

"I'm never letting you two go out alone again," he called after them and left them to it, he'd need a strong drink to deal with this. 

He stole one of Scott's fancy beers from the small fridge in his office and settled on the couch listening to the sounds of splashing and the offended yowling coming from the kitchen where the crazy pair were evidently trying to wash the cat in the sink. No way was he getting involved in that fiasco. He was staying well out of the way. 

"Hold him, Virg!" 

"I'm trying!" 

"Ahhh, he's off! He's gone! Where is he?" 

"Alan, catch him!" 

"On it!" 

John raised an eyebrow when something solid crashed into something that was apparently just as resilient.

"Ow!" 

The first thing was evidently something alive. 

"Shit, Gordon, are you OK, sweetie?" 

"It's wet there. Why is the floor wet?" 

"I got him!" 

"Well done, Allie!" 

"Is that a cat? Why is it wet? Is everything wet in here tonight?" 

"We adopted him! Virg held me upside down in a drain!" 

She was down a drain? John looked at the half empty bottle in his hand…he needed more beer. 

"Who was down a drain?" 

Oh, here came trouble. He downed the rest of the bottle and tucked it neatly under the couch so Scott wouldn't see. Beer? He'd seen no beer. 

"I was, and Virgil didn't drop me once!" 

"Is that a cat?" 

"Yep, sure is, and I didn't drop her once."

"Well, that's good to know."

"Wanna hold him? Allie, gimme the baby."

"There was a time when I was the baby…"

"Yeah, then I was born and you became obsolete."

There was the sound of a short scuffle, a few muffled curses and then silence. 

John settled back against the cushions, refusing to get involved, he wasn't stupid enough for that. 

"What's going on in there?" 

He jumped at the voice behind him. "Jesus! Do you have to do that?" He felt his chest to make sure his heart was still in place. 

"No, but it's too much fun not to."

He glared at her retreating back. 

"Why is Scott holding a wet cat?" 

"I'm a pussy magnet."

"Eww, Scott!" 

John shook his head at the sound of laughter erupting from the kitchen. He was doomed, they were never going to let that thing leave. He sighed, might as well get it over with. 

He got to his feet and padded down the stairs to the kitchen, greeted by the sight of Virgil sitting as still as a statue on one of the kitchen chairs, the cat balanced on his shoulder, it's little claws hooked into his shirt for stability as Selene rubbed it dry with a towel. It's fur was still damp and standing up on end as if it had been electrocuted. It looked confused at all the chaos, shocked at what she was doing to it and like it wanted to run. He could relate. 

The cat looked at him, its green eyes locking on him as he walked to the fridge. It definitely looked better now that it wasn't covered in mud and freezing cold. 

Selene had whipped a comb out from somewhere on her person and was smoothing it through the cats fur. It looked like it was debating the wiseness of murder by suffocation. 

"There, now you look so much better," Selene declared scooping up the cat with one hand and untangling its claws from his brother's shoulder with the other. 

The cat mewed at him and John couldn't help but smile in a show of solidarity, it sounded so pitiful. 

"John!" 

"What?" Busted. 

"You smiled!" Alan crowed, "you like the kitty!" 

"I do not, don't be so childish. Maybe I just like seeing my fiancée happy."

"Bullshit," Gordon coughed into his hand. 

"John, can you find something he can eat? We'll go shopping for essentials tomorrow," Virgil promised. 

He glanced at his girl, who was holding the cat like a baby in her arms, cooing nonsense at it. The cat had apparently decided that resistance was futile and was lying placidly on its back, all four paws sticking up in the air. He snorted softly to himself as he rummaged in the fridge, the cat had learnt quicker than he had that Selene was a force of nature that would not be ignored. It was better to just go with the flow and let her have her own way. 

He gathered a little left over roast chicken and chopped it up into bite size pieces. He reached for a couple of bowls, filling one with water and scooping the chicken into the other before placing them on the floor. 

Selene lowered the cat to the ground and, after giving each bowl an investigatory sniff, it dived face first into the chicken, the sound of its greedy chomping filling the room. 

"That thing is gonna shit in the house, isn't it?" Kayo was never one of mince words. 

Selene looked panicked for a second, then raced into the pantry, clanked around noisily for a few moments then exited carrying a large roasting pan.

No one stopped her when she ran out the kitchen door and vanished down the side of the villa. They had all given up questioning what she did at any given moment. 

Something soft bumped against his leg and John looked down to find the cat staring up at him. 

"I think he likes you," Scott grinned. The cat meowed its agreement, demanding attention. 

John stared down at the furry interloper. "Armstrong, was it?" he asked. The cat meowed an affirmative. He crouched down, offering a hand for the creature to sniff. "I'm John."

Gordon burst out laughing. "Did you just introduce yourself to a cat?" 

"Did you not?" 

"I did," Alan admitted. 

Selene crashed back into the room, the baking tray now filled with sand she'd scooped up from the beach. 

"This'll have to do, it'll count as a sandbox…" she stopped dead taking in the sight of her dude, on the floor, arm outstretched to the cat he supposedly didn't want anything to do with. She tried to hold in the resulting smile but it wasn't easy. 

John scrambled to his feet, a guilty look on his face as he backed away, but Armstrong was having none of it. He stretched up, front paws on John's leg and meowed loudly, wanting attention. 

"No, cat, there will be no demanding."

Selene snorted as she scooped up the cat. "Yeah, like that's gonna work." 

The cat scrambled out of her arms and launched itself at John, landing on his shoulder where it proceeded to drape itself around the back of his neck like a scarf. 

John sighed. "This thing is staying, isn't it?" 

Kayo grinned as she left the kitchen. 

"Oh yes," Scott stroked the purring cat as he left too. 

John stood still, suffering in silence as Alan and Gordon fussed the cat that was kneading his flesh with its razor sharp claws. 

"WHO DRANK ONE OF MY BEERS?" 

"Time for bed!" John took off with the cat still on his shoulders. 

"Don't get too comfortable with him," Virgil called after him, "that's half my cat."

Gordon grinned at Alan. "I've always wanted a pet that wasn't a scaly nightmare."

"Me too, this is gonna be great."

***

Selene woke to the sound of loud purring in her ear. She opened one eye, finding herself nose to nose with Armstrong, who was curled up on John's chest. John, for his part, was completely oblivious to this development and continued to sleep soundly. 

Selene gave the kitty a quick head rub and then eased out of bed, not wanting to disturb John. He rarely slept enough and she never woke him unless she had to. With practiced efficiency she quietly gathered a change of clothes and slipped out of the room to use Kayo's bathroom to shower, knowing that the slightest noise would wake him. 

Virgil was already waiting for her in the kitchen, for once looking alert and ready to roll. 

"Damn, muscles, give me a moment to get some coffee down me."

"No time," he handed her a to-go cup and a toasted bagel. "Kitty needs breakfast soon and he can't keep having chicken, I was reading up on it last night."

She took the drink and saluted, accepting her orders. Who'd have thought Virgil would be the one to get all bossy with her? It was fun to see. 

It didn't take them long to reach the large shopping mall on the mainland. They left the small two seater plane on the roof pad and headed for the pet store. 

"Just essentials, right?" she confirmed, letting him push the shopping cart. 

"Yep," he nodded. 

They loaded up with a couple of crates of cat food tins, bags of crunches and two sacks of cat litter, along with a couple of litter trays and two cosy beds, but that was as far as their restraint lasted. 

"He needs treats, right?" Selene tossed eight different packs into the cart. 

"And he has to have toys, they need to stay stimulated or they can get bored."

"Just like Alan."

Virgil grabbed one of almost every toy available and piled them in on top of the food. 

Virgil picked out a nice collar for him, and they added some flea shampoo and wormer to the pile, just in case. 

"Does he need clothes?" Selene was instantly drawn to the cute little outfits that were probably meant for tiny dogs. 

"I don't think so."

"But...but…"

"He has fur and we live on a tropical island," Virgil pointed out calmly. 

"Fine, I see your point."

They wandered a little further when Selene stopped dead. 

"Oh my gods! Look at that hat! He needs a top hat, he needs to be fancy!" 

"No, he doesn't need to be-" she waved the hat under his nose pleadingly. "OK, but just the one hat, for special occasions."

She grinned and tossed the little hat on top of the growing pile. 

Virgil looked at the cart in disbelief. 

"I think we're gonna need another cart."

***

John floated out of blissful rest to the most disgusting smell. His nose wrinkled in horror and he turned his face away. What had Selene and Virgil been eating the night before? The smell followed and he braced himself to take one for the team and give her the morning kiss she always wanted. 

He opened his eyes, forcing a smile of greeting…Armstrong immediately pounced, nuzzling his chin from his spot on his chest, little claws digging into his bare skin, rough tongue rasping at his nose. 

"Urghhh, get off you beast!" he swiped gently at the cat who wouldn't take no for an answer. He gave in as gracefully as possible and did his duty, petting the cat gently. The cat's purring got louder and its nuzzling more intense. "You're going to be just as demanding as her, aren't you?" The cat declined to answer. "Right you, move your furry butt, I need coffee."

As if it understood every word he said the cat stood up, arching its back as it stretched then turned tail and took off out the door. 

"Well, at least you listen better than Selene."

John found the cat curled up on his eldest brothers lap as Scott worked at their dad's desk. Armstrong looked perfectly content as Scott tickled his ears with one hand while scrolling on his tablet with the other. 

"Urgh, not you too."

Scott glanced up. "Huh?" 

"Wrapped around that things little paw."

Scott chuckled. "You have to admit, he's pretty cute."

"I admit nothing."

Scott sighed. "I know I say it a lot, but you need to loosen up a little. It'll be good for us to have a pet around the villa, they are supposed to reduce stress levels and we could all do with a little of that."

"Grab this box before I drop it!" 

"Got it! Damn that's heavy, how did we buy so much stuff?" 

"You insisted he needed a cat tree that was actually a tree…"

"OK so maybe that was a slight miscalculation on my part…"

Virgil stumbled in almost bent double under the weight of a ton of boxes, Selene bringing up the rear with her arms full of bags. 

Scott's eyes widened at the sight. "What was I saying about stress?" 

"You two are never going out alone again."


	23. Driving Miss Selene

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone has to teach the witch how to fly...

"Brains just informed me that Selene's car is ready for a test ride and that means someone has to teach her how to actually fly the thing."

"Teaching a Witch to fly, can't be that hard," Scott joked. 

John snorted. "You do remember how we met, right?" 

"Ah, yeah, good point."

John nodded. "So, who's volunteering? And make sure she doesn't find out, I don't want her panicking and stressing herself out over it, you know what she was like when you were overseeing her gravity training."

"So you're just going to spring it on her?" 

"That's the plan."

"You're a braver man than I am, bro."

"Or just stupid," Gordon helpfully added. From where he sat in one of Three's launch chairs he had been invisible to John. 

John closed his eyes briefly, oh, this wasn't good. Gordon was usually firmly on Selene's side in almost everything, not always because he agreed with her but because he feared and loved her in equal parts, that and he always found it hilariously funny to watch her exploding at people. 

"Gordon, you cannot tell her about this, she thinks she's got plenty of time before it's ready."

"Fine, but let me just say one thing?" 

John sighed, ready to promise anything to ensure his silence. "Sure."

"Not it."

Scott, realising that his second youngest brother might actually be the smartest of them all followed his lead. "Not it!" 

"Scott, really?" 

Scott grinned. "You're the stupid one, not me. Besides, she's your fiancée, you do it." 

"Do you think Parker…" 

"He and Penelope are attending the opening of that new underwater hotel for the week."

"Virgil?" 

"Busy with Two's bimonthly tune up, only leaving for emergencies."

"Kayo?" 

"Can you actually imagine Kayo having the patience to teach anyone anything?" 

Crap, he was right. That only left…"Alan?"

"Would break if she yelled at him and he'd let her get away with not even trying. Nope, this one is all on you."

Shit. He might be a little inexperienced when it came to relationships but even he knew the two golden rules, never agree that her butt looked big in those jeans even if it appeared she has a beach ball stuffed down her pants and never, ever, teach her to drive. He just hoped he wasn't suddenly single by the end of the lesson. 

"I guess I'm on my way, ask Grandma to take over monitoring duty will you?" 

***

Selene grabbed her phone when it pinged up a message, surprised but very pleased to read it. John, as always, was a man of few words 'I'm outside'.

She snatched up her jacket as she ran out the door, clattering down the stairs. It had been a long week filled with back to back appointments for her and she was more than ready for a break. She'd been about to call Virgil and request a pickup but it seemed her man had other ideas. Honestly, much as she loved his family, the thought of having a night, just the two of them in her peaceful little apartment seemed like heaven. 

She swung open the front door and abruptly stopped. There was her car, her cute little car with its sleek shape and shiny black paint job and her spaceman behind the wheel. That meant…oh crap. 

The door opened and he unfolded his long frame from the driver's seat, stepping out of the car. 

"Is Brains finished with her, is she done?" 

"Hello to you too."

She pulled him in for a quick kiss. "Hello gorgeous man."

"That's more like it.. Now, are you ready to take her for a spin?" 

Her eyes widened as she stuck her head inside, checking out the modifications. Where she had previously had nothing more complicated than heater dials and a radio she now had something that looked like it had been ripped out of the Enterprise and shoehorned into her dashboard. 

She wasn't a bad driver, just a simple one, and one that was used to roads and signposts, not sky and 'turn left at the third cloud'. She could get lost going to the bathroom, she wasn't good at picking out landmarks. That was why she often drove to her witchy venues and flew the last mile for appearances sake. 

How had she ever allowed herself to be talked into this? She glanced over her shoulder at John who was none too subtly checking out her behind where she was bent over. Oh yeah, that was why. She had the sexist Space Hunk who happened to live, part time anyway, on a secret island that could only be reached by air or sea, and she was not that good a swimmer. 

"Erm…"

Her face was a picture. She might go out of her way to project an image of being confident and fully in control of everything, but now he knew different. She was sensitive, loving, kind, and strong, but also dramatic with an overly active imagination and a tendency to go with worse case scenario.

He'd also realised that, as much as she tried to deny it, she too suffered from the occasional crisis of confidence and often believed that she would do something wrong. She'd confided in him late one night, while lying close together in his bunk on Five, that an ex boyfriend had managed, over the course of their year long relationship, to convince her that she was pretty much useless at everything she did so there wasn't any point in trying. Much as she was helping him to see that he was more than good enough, he was doing the same for her. 

"You can do this."

She pulled a face, clearly not believing him at all. 

"Can you at least get us somewhere far enough away that I won't endanger human lives?" 

"There's the confident woman I know and love." 

She stuck her tongue out at him and climbed into the back, refusing to give him the chance to argue. 

Rolling his eyes he got back behind the wheel. Clearly this was going to be a long day. 

***

"It's really simple, Brains made sure to keep it as familiar as possible for you."

Selene had managed to work herself up into a nice panic on the drive out of London, imagining all the horrible ways in which she could potentially kill them both and now she couldn't even begin to think straight. His calm tone,which usually made her feel better, was now sounding patronising and annoyed to her ears and it was pissing her off. 

"Nice to know that everyone thinks I'm a complete idiot who couldn't handle anything too mentally taxing."

"No one thinks that, you specifically said that you wanted the flying equivalent of a go cart. Would you have wanted anything as complicated as one of our crafts?" 

"Of course not, contrary to popular belief I do not have a death wish."

He wisely ignored that and continued his instructions.

"The pedals work exactly the same as they did before, just stop and go and steer with the wheel."

He leant closer from his seat in the back and pointed to the first of a new row of buttons. "The blue one is drive, the green one is fly, that will realign the wheels and lift her off the ground to a height of around two meters. Only when flight is engaged will the steering wheel allow you to pull up on it to go higher and push down to go lower."

"Does it still turn left and right?" her tone was sickeningly sweet but ever so slightly dangerous. John was a wise man and yet again chose to adopt the mantra of 'if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all'. 

"The yellow button engages the autopilot and the course is set by inputting the location into that GPS there." He pointed to the upgraded screen that had replaced her old navigation system. "The moment you press that one the autopilot will take over and all you have to do is keep an eye on the sky and make sure you don't run into anything."

"What does the red one do?" 

"That one is multipurpose, it's your stop and land button. If you're landing press it while losing height and the sensors built into the undercarriage will take over, levelling you out and realigning the wheels ready to drive and bringing you to the ground safely. If you want to land and keep driving press the blue button after the red, if you want to stop press the red a second time. That will shut off the engine once you come to a stop."

"OK…"

"That didn't sound convincing, sweetheart."

"No, no I think I've got it. Emphasis on the word, think."

"Want to try just starting her up and cruising on the ground for a few minutes and then we can try the skies?" 

Selene visually mapped out the interior again, trying to remember everything he'd said. 

"OK."

"You can do this, it's really simple."

"Yeah, so you keep telling me, because that's about all I can handle."

He frowned, where had that come from? 

"Of course it's not, you are anything but simple."

"So I'm complicated and difficult?" 

"No! You're wonderful and unique." How had it turned into this? She was taking everything he said wrong. "Just give this a try."

She took a deep breath and mentally smacked herself for being such an cow. She wasn't mad at him, although she would have appreciated a little warning before he threw her in the deep end and expected her to swim, she was just so scared of fucking up. They were all so competent, so confident and experienced, in comparison she was, a nothing. Boringly normal family, average childhood and an affinity with nature, not machine. She'd never been one to take to technology easily, machines and how they worked pretty much baffled her on a daily basis. She was an intuitive person, one that interacted with the energies of the earth, and that didn't work with machinery. It had no life force, no energy of its own, no soul. 

If she was honest with herself she knew that with very little effort she could easily become a burden and a problem to them all. Only she could manage to find the love of her life by needing rescue. The last thing she wanted to do was become a target for them or to get in the way with her inexperience and lack of skills. 

Compared to the other females on the team she was next to useless. Penelope was a brave, beautiful, skilled, connected woman that could handle anything. Kayo was a highly trained, arse kicking machine that had the brains as well as beauty. She flew her craft with the kind of skill that Selene couldn't even begin to imagine let alone pull off. Grandma Tracy might lack culinary skills but she made up for it in a million other ways, strength oozing from her pores. Whereas she was a little too curvy to be fashionable, had no real talents that she could speak of and had never been to university. She was nothing special. 

And the boys? They were all high flying, high impact, overly intelligent prodigies and she was a nothing. She didn't deserve any of the help, support and acceptance that they had given her. One day John was going to wake up and realise exactly what he was missing out on. Realise that he had settled for average when he deserved amazing. 

He was looking at her so strangely, like he couldn't understand her or her actions, and she couldn't blame him. He'd made the effort to drive her car, pick her up and was trying to help her and she was being a raging bitch. 

"I got this shit." She pressed her thumb against the key lock and the car engine rumbled into life. 

***

"I really don't got this."

The car's front grill was lodged in the mud and she was ready to give up five minutes into the lesson. How could you get up and down mixed up? Somehow she had managed it. 

She'd been driving along the grassy ground of the hillside he'd parked them on and had managed to remember that green was fly only by association of green being the colour of Two and that thing flew. OK, so maybe simple was better for her. 

She'd yelped when the cars wheels had shifted and rotated on their axis, just as FAB 1's did, pointing to the ground and each becoming their own little jet engine. 

The car had lifted off the ground by a few meters as promised and John had calmly reminded her that now the wheel would work for the up and down not just the left and right and to go higher she had to go up. 

That's all well and good, but her version of up was apparently slightly different to his. He meant she should take hold of the wheel and pull it towards her which would lift the wheel up. She in a classic comedy move of not being able to open a door, mistook pull, for push. 

She pushed up when she should have pulled down. The result, a less than spectacular nose dive into the ground. 

"It's OK, it's fine, you can fix this. Just put her in reverse and she should have enough pull to yank herself out, she's not that deep."

She moved the car into reverse and eased her foot down on the pedal but the car didn't move. 

"No, you have to put her in drive mode first."

"You should have said that!" 

"Sorry, I thought it was obvious."

"Well it wasn't."

"So I see."

She tossed a glare over her shoulder at him, her hand hovering over the control panel. 

"Blue button." 

"I knew that!" 

"Did you though?" 

Honestly she hadn't, she'd been about to hit the yellow. Why hadn't the genius that was Brains thought to label the fucking things? 

She pushed the blue button and felt the wheels shift back down. 

"OK…reverse." She pushed the gear stick back into reverse and eased her foot slowly down on the pedal. The wheels gripped a little but then span out, sending up a stream of mud and grass behind them. 

"Shit!" 

"It's OK, lets try to override it. Put her in fly again, green button-" 

"I got it, I got it, green like two that flew."

He gave her a look that said he was seriously debating her sanity at that moment. Honestly she was surprised she hadn't seen that look more often. 

"Green button, wait until the wheels are up, then shove the steering wheel up as far as it will go and boot it."

"Shove and boot, those are highly technical terms…"

She did as she was told, pulling at the steering wheel, which didn't move. 

"It won't pull until the wheels are fully up, just give it a moment, don't be so impatient."

She gritted her teeth and let the wheel go, waiting until the wheels fully lifted, noticing then that a small light above the green button blinked on. Well that would have been handy to know too, why didn't this thing come with a manual? 

"Alright, now hard pull and foot down, Sel."

She followed his instructions, yanking the steering wheel hard as she slammed her foot down on the pedal. The car's butt took a dive but it's nose shot up, as did the car, launching itself into the air. 

She screamed and he barely resisted the urge to do the same when she panicked and let go of the wheel, which retracted, dropping them sharply. 

"Hold the wheel, Selene!" 

She grabbed it and held it in place. 

"OK, there's no need to yell at me!" 

Had he yelled? He never yelled. How did she do that? How did she always manage to make him lose control? 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout. Just level out a bit. Follow the Altitude Indicator." 

"The what now?" 

He sighed. 

"You see that thing on the dash?" he pointed to what looked like half a snow globe with a line across the middle and a cross lower down. He waited until she nodded. "That cross is us, so you need to correct her until the cross is in the middle, lined up on the horizon line."

"Again, that would have been handy to know before we took off."

"It's standard in every craft, I assumed you knew what it was." 

"Then just keep assuming and assume that I'm dumb and spell shit out like you're teaching the ABC."

He rolled his eyes at her dramatics. "You aren't dumb."

"Dude, did you just roll your eyes at me?" 

"No?" 

"Don't answer a question with a question, that does not make it better!" 

He wisely shut up and simply pointed to the horizon line. 

She gave the steering wheel an experimental pull and saw the cross move. When she went left it went left, the same with right, which was so blindingly obvious but she still felt like she had to test it. Following the cross she managed to level it out. 

"Good. That's great, but you might want to take us just a tiny bit higher…" the top of a rather large fir tree scraped their undercarriage. 

"How the hell am I supposed to know how high to go or when I reach it? What's my limits? I need limits dammit!" 

"It's the new gauge next to your upgraded speedometer. You see the numbers there?" She did, they were high, scarily high. "That's in feet, 5 thousand each line. Commercial planes and our crafts aim for between 35 thousand and 40 thousand feet. Anything about 50 is in the red line there and too high. You need to go between 10 and 15, higher if you're going long distance, maybe around 20."

"That's…that's seriously high. Very very scarily high." according to the new needle they weren't even registering as having left the earth and it already felt too high for her. She'd never be able to do this on her own. 

"You've been higher."

"Not when I'm not in your tin can or with someone else driving. On a broom we barely clear the treetops, it's too cold, too windy and too exposed."

"Well you're about to go higher now, because if you don't pull up we'll hit that Tor up ahead."

The mass of rocks, piled high, had come out of nowhere and she jumped, yanking on the wheel, just managing to miss crashing into them like a bowling ball into pins. 

"I can't do this. I can't do this…" she chanted under her breath, knuckles white in the wheel. She needed to get down. She pushed forward on the wheel, dropping their nose sharply and punched at the red button. Red meant stop. Stop was good. Stop was needed. 

The wheels came down and thankfully the sensors took over as she smacked at the button again. They hit the ground with a teeth jarring bump as she had forgotten, or never been told, to slow down. 

As soon as the engine died she threw open the door and hauled her shaking self out of the car. 

John followed straight after, catching up with her. 

"Selene what's wrong? This isn't like you."

"Yes, it is! This is totally like me. I freak out over unfamiliar things, things that I can't control and don't understand."

"What's not to understand, it's simple-" 

"No. It's not simple. Not to me anyway. Maybe to you because you all grew up like this. But I didn't, I'm different, I'm not part of your Tracy life where you have to pull out a plane to go to the shop! I am not a part of this!" 

"Of course you're part of our life."

She closed her eyes, praying for patience. It was freezing cold out on the moors of Yorkshire, the wind howling across the hillside to whip the hair back from her face and she huddled into her coat, arms wrapped around herself, for comfort as much as warmth. 

"I didn't mean it like that." She knew that she was a part of his life, or all their lives. 

"Then what did you mean, I don't understand?" 

"Of course you don't. Because you can't imagine what it's like to not know all of this stuff. If you've never flown before, never had anyone show you all that you need to know, never had someone actually instruct you on it, you don't know. It's not an automated download to your brain. It might come naturally to all of you, but let's just face facts here, I'll never be like that. I'll never be one to hop into a craft and instinctively know what to do or how to even start the thing. I'll never be good enough."

"Never be good enough?" Her last words stuck out to him more than anything else she said. 

"You really do focus on the most insignificant parts, don't you?" 

He felt like he should be insulted by that. To him, her feeling like she wasn't good enough was the most important thing. Thankfully he wasn't one to react to a negative situation without assessing everything first. He mentally rewound her words and realised that she was right. He had just expected her to know what to do. He was used to working and interacting with people that operated their kind of machines on a daily basis, they were all trained in each others crafts, at least the basics enough to get them out of trouble. He had forgotten to tell her what most of the instruments were because they were second nature to them. A five minute run down of any new modifications Brains made to any of their crafts and they were good to go. Learn by doing, that was the Tracy way. Sometimes he forgot that she wasn't a Tracy, she hadn't been brought up the way they had been. She was different. 

He didn't know what to do or how to handle this situation. He could clearly see that she was struggling, likely on the verge of a full meltdown. She was always so good at comforting and helping others but didn't seem to be able to be kind to herself. 

He couldn't leave her like that, he had to do something. He knew that whenever she didn't know what to do she deployed her secret weapon, a healing hug. 

He approached her like one would a scared dog, avoiding the teeth, and enfolded her in his arms. 

"I love you."

She remained stiff in his arms for a few moments but then sagged into him, her arms going around his middle. 

"I love you too, but you're annoying."

"I know. So are you."

She didn't dignify that with an answer, just let him hold her for a few minutes. 

"Selly, talk to me. Why would you think you aren't good enough?" 

She sighed, nuzzling her cold nose into his neck, feeling him shiver in response. 

"I don't know. You're just all so perfect at everything."

He snorted at that, they were far from perfect, especially Gordon who managed to find the widest range of ways to screw up. 

"Go on."

"I just…i just don't get how I'm your type of person. We have zero in common, I don't fit into your world, I'm not a super spy or an awesome astronaut, I have no skills to offer the team at all. I'm the definition of dead weight."

"We don't see you that way, you're one of us now. You don't need to be like everyone else, we have enough spies and rocket flyers, your skills are so much more important."

"Yeah right."

"Yes, right." He gave her a small squeeze for emphasis. "I like that we don't have the same interests, the same hobbies and job, it means we have something different to talk about. And as for not being my type, well I've been with my type and it didn't work out, as I'm sure you have."

She had to agree with that, sticking to your own kind often left a lot to be desired. 

"But then, if a beautiful, loving, highly skilled woman isn't my type, then I don't know what is. I might not have been looking for you, but I think you fit me perfectly."

"And I might not have been looking for a gorgeous, intelligent and highly skilled spaceman, but I think you fit me too."

"Often what we want and what we actually need are two different things, but I know I'll always want and need you."

"So you don't think I'm stupid for not getting this whole flying thing?" 

He shook his head. "Not at all, it's not your fault if you don't already know how to do it. We just need to start with the basics and this time I'll make sure I explain everything I'm doing and you need to make sure you ask about anything you aren't sure of."

"I can do that."

"Let's try this again, shall we? But this time we'll do it a little different."

***

"I can't believe I'm actually doing it!" 

Selene was perched on his lap, both of them sharing the driver's seat. It was unconventional but was working well. 

He'd been great at explaining everything once he realised that she knew next to nothing about any of it. He'd gone through every instrument on the panel, explaining its use and when to use it, including the silver button that would cloak the car should she ever be followed or need to be invisible, something she insisted on calling Ghost-mode. The black button was there to activate a protective shield around the car should she ever need it. Brains had also resprayed the car with anti-scratch, extra tough paint that would stop most damage aimed her way. 

He'd then started the car and talked her through everything as he did it, so she could see it in action, making sure that she understood. They were both controlling their moods and had managed not to snap at each other again. 

He'd taken the car up and down twice, slowing down his actions so she could register them, then he'd made her try, covering her hands with his for support and reassurance. She'd talked her way through everything, and he found that he only had to correct her once before they were safely up above the tree line. 

Now that he was right there with her and able to take over in the event of an emergency, she had relaxed and felt confident enough to climb higher, reaching the desired altitude and begun to cruise. 

Once she was comfortable with that he had encouraged her to have a little fun, moving this way and that, feeling the air currents and working with them rather than fighting against them. 

He'd then instructed her on landing, which she managed to do the second time as smoothly as if she'd been flying all her life. 

Next he taught her how to program a route and engage the autopilot once they were high enough. That had been easier for her and she had relaxed back against his chest, keeping an eye open for any potential obstacles or dangers though there was nothing of note. 

They'd picked a route that was less than three hundred miles, something that took a matter of minutes with her upgraded engine, and had looped them in a big circle to come back to their original spot. Once again she landed perfectly, having gotten the hang of the controls now. It really was quite easy once she had gotten over her fear of the unknown and had it explained to her in a way that made sense. 

Their last lesson was to use the GPS to get them back to her apartment, which she followed easily now she was on the ground again. He had vacated the driver's seat and sat in the back for the return journey, content to simply watch her and ponder over her words.

He didn't understand how she could possibly think she was stupid. She was a fast learner and had gotten into the swing of things quickly once she had felt supported and everything had been explained to her. She was very much like him in the fact that she liked to know everything about it before she even started, knowledge made her feel more comfortable. He could kick himself for not having noticed that about her before and not realising that it really was all new to her. 

They pulled up outside her building and she slid into her designated space, hitting the red button to shut down the engine. 

"You did amazingly well."

She turned to smile at her love. "Well, it turns out that I had a good teacher."

He climbed out of the car and took her hand when she joined him. 

"Quiet night in?" 

He nodded. "Sounds perfect, then tomorrow we'll head to the island, I think you can handle that with the GPS and autopilot, don't you?" 

She took a deep breath but then nodded her agreement. "As long as I have you, I can handle anything."

***

The palm trees didn't need to fold back for her dinky car, and it was kinda scary waiting for the cliff face to open enough to let her in, making her think that it wouldn't register her cars signature and open in time, leaving her driving into solid rock, but she needn't have worried. Brains, as always, had thought of everything. 

John directed her to a spot off to the left of Two's hanger. Someone, likely Virgil, had painted on the wall in big purple letters the words "Thunderbird Witch". 

"I told you you're one of us."

And that was when she burst into tears.


	24. Get your witch on

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kayo asks Selene for a favour but not everything is as it seems...

Selene stretched, feeling the muscles of her back pop as she moved. 

"Oooh, that hurt," she twisted to one side, then the other. Too many hours sitting at John's desk doing video consultations had played havoc with her spine. And she still had her card readings to finish. Luckily those didn't require any face to face time.

Needing to move she gathered up her cards and her tablet then went for a wander. The villa was surprisingly quiet, although she could hear the faint notes of the piano and followed them to the lounge. Virgil and John were the only ones there. 

V was tinkling on the ivories, playing a soft little tune, while John was quietly reading. She wandered past the piano, stopping to give Virgil a little shoulder squeeze in greeting, not wanting to interrupt him too much, then continued to the seating area. 

She looked from her spaceman, to the couch, to the floor and back again. Sure, she could sit on the floor at the table, but then she'd be far away from John again, and that wasn't part of the plan, he was definitely the better option. 

Not giving him any choice in the matter she nudged his book out of the way and flopped down, lying on her belly across his lap. John, fairly used to her antics by now, simply lifted his arms, waited until she got comfortable and lowered them again, resting his book on her backside. 

Holding herself up on her elbows she shuffled the cards and started her first spread, setting her tablet to voice typing as she got to work. 

"Distant Past, four of cups, element of water signifying a very emotional time in your past which has had a major effect on your life now. It's the card of missed opportunities, boredom and reevaluation-" she paused when John shifted to get comfortable, his hand coming to rest on her left butt cheek after he turned the page of his book. Smiling to herself she continued with her reading. 

"Present, Queen of Swords, an older woman will step into your life and protect you when you need it most." 

She finished the reading, quietly adding more details and explanations, checked that the tablet had recorded and translated it all properly then gathered up the cards to shuffle them again, laying out another spread. 

She was half way through the cards, murmuring quietly into her tablet when the peace was ruined by Gordon clattering into the room. 

"What's shakin' bacon?" 

He stopped dead, face creased in confusion. "Sel?" 

"Hmm?" she turned away from her cards to face the aquanaut. "Sup?" 

"Does he even realise he's doing that?" amusement tinged his words as he nodded towards John. 

She lifted her head to glance over her shoulder at her love, smiling indulgently. "Nope."

Virgil looked over at them, his fingers never ceasing their dancing on the piano keys. He smiled, spotting what had made Gordon laugh. 

"John?" 

Nothing. Not even a flicker. 

"John?" Gordon tried again. 

Nope, still nothing. 

"John?" Virgil tried for him. 

"Yeah?" He didn't look up from his book. 

"Hey, how comes he answered you?" 

"I've learnt to tune you out with years of practice."

"Mean."

"Did you want something or were you just interrupting for the sake of it?" 

"No, it's fine."

Selene sniggered as Gordon settled on the couch opposite to wait. 

Everyone drifted back to their activities, Selene softly reciting, Virgil continued to play although his focus was back on his sheet music and John returned his attention to his book while Gordon checked his social media accounts. 

Peacefulness reigned for no more than ten minutes before Alan shattered it by bounding into the room with his usual inexhaustible energy. 

He too stopped in front of the couch, but he was even less subtle than Gordon if such a thing was even possible. 

"John, why are you doing that?" 

John's epic sigh was the stuff of legends. 

"Doing what? Reading quietly like a normal person?" 

"No, stroking Selene's butt in the lounge."

Virgil and Gordon couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out laughing. 

"What are you talking about? I'm not-" he interrupted himself as he frowned, looking down at his hand which had been absently petting her behind. His frown morphed into a glare as he immediately stopped, breaking contact. "Where did the cat go?" 

"He's been with me for the past two hours."

"Really?" John frowned. 

Alan turned, revealing Armstrong happily curled up in his hood like it was a hammock.

Selene took pity on John, heaving herself upright and settling beside him. "Hardly his fault that my butt is so amazing."

"No, my butt is amazing, yours is just OK," Kayo grinned as she appeared in the doorway. "Are you busy, witch?" 

Selene glanced at her cards, ignoring the insult to her behind. "I've got a couple of things to do, but not really, why?" 

"Fancy a road trip? I need your help."

"What with?" John was instantly suspicious, his previous predicament forgotten. He wasn't aware of Kayo having anything that she needed help with, which put him on edge. He was usually aware of everything that went on with International Rescue and its operatives, sometimes too aware, he shuddered inwardly at the memories of a few things he'd seen and heard that he'd rather forget but seemed to have etched themselves onto his brain. 

"Things are quiet and I saw that some of my old university friends are having a reunion. Since everyone is always saying that I don't have time for socialising I thought I'd make time. Unfortunately updating my wardrobe is another thing I haven't had time for, so I thought I'd enlist a little help. I'd ask Penelope but we have very different tastes in clothing, although I'm sure Selene could lend me something, and come with me to the reunion tonight?"

Selene was struck dumb for a moment, of all the things she had expected to hear from Kayo, this was not one of them. But she pulled herself together quickly. 

"Yeah, I'd love to come, let me just sort a couple of things first, OK?" 

Kayo shrugged. "Sure, just don't take too long."

Selene snapped a picture of the tarot spread for future reference and checked her list of jobs to do for the next few days, seeing what she could put off. 

John lent over to glance at her tablet, checking her list. "Anything I can help with?" 

She frowned, thinking about it. "Not really, I've nearly finished this reading and it's not due for a few days anyway, and other than that the only things left to do are natal charts, I've been putting them off as it always takes me forever to plot each bloody thing."

He squinted at the charts she had partially plotted. "Looks easy enough, just plotting the location of specific stars and planets on specific dates at a certain time, right?" 

She made a face. "Pretty much, I mean there's interpretation of it after, but yeah."

He slid her tablet out of her hands. "Then leave them to me, what will take you hours will probably take me minutes."

She stared at him for a second, then patted her heart in gratitude. "You get better every day. I have no idea why I didn't think of making you do them before, but thank you."

"You good to go now?" Kayo was never one for patience. 

"Yep, let me just grab my bag and coat, then I'm all yours," she was already halfway out the door heading for the bedrooms. 

"You had better look after her tonight, I've heard the stories of your college drinking and seen the pictures to back it up," John warned Kayo. 

Kayo snorted. "This is the woman that somehow accidentally went out drinking with Scott and not only survived, but made it a regular thing, if anything it'll be me that needs the help. Don't worry, it won't be a heavy night, I just need some back up, those women are more ruthless than I am." 

"Is such a thing possible?" Alan asked, sitting carefully to avoid squashing Armstrong. 

"Maybe I need to come along too, you know, to keep the ladies entertained," Gordon offered. "Purely to be helpful, obviously." 

"Obviously," Kayo rolled her eyes. "Thanks, but no thanks, we've got this, plus it's ladies only." 

Selene trotted back into the lounge carrying her massive handbag that she refused to leave home without. "OK, I'm ready, let's go." 

Kayo led the way to the concealed hanger entrance, touching her hand to the camouflaged panel, standing back as the wall slid aside. 

"Hey, aren't you forgetting something?" 

"Shit! Yes, I'm sorry," Selene ran back to the sunken seating, diverting past John to Alan. "Bye Armie!" she fondled the cats soft head, ignoring the sniggering of John's assembled brothers. 

"At least we know who the important one is now," John huffed. 

"I'm joking, I'm joking!" she bent over to kiss him. "Bye gorgeous." She pecked a kiss to his lips, aware of the audience they had but for once John didn't seem to mind. His arms banded around her waist, tugging her down onto his lap. 

"Goodbye, have a good time, but behave. And no bringing home any more strays." 

"It was one time, John, get over it," Virgil groaned. "It's not like we've made a habit of it and the island is overrun with animals." 

"Still, behave," John kissed her softly, a little deeper and a little longer than was strictly PG. 

Kayo coughed impatiently. "Are you two done?" 

Selene smiled against his lips, breaking the kiss, though she pecked another there just because, then extracted herself from his arms. 

"Yep, done." 

The two women vanished, the wall closing silently behind them. 

"Show off," Gordon grumbled. 

John just grinned and stood up, picked up his book and Selene's tablet. "I'm heading to the office." 

"Seriously, the second she leaves?" 

"Yep, I'm going to get to work on her charts and catch up on some jobs she banned me from doing for another few days." 

"She'll kill you if she finds out," Virgil warned, but amusement tinged his words. 

"The key word being 'if'," John confirmed. "I'll be back before she is, I'll see you soon." 

***

"So what kind of place is it? Does it have a dress code?" Selene was busily flicking through her wardrobe trying to find anything that she thought might be suitable for Kayo to borrow. Kayo, for her part was stretched out on Selene's bed reading something on her comm. "Are you paying attention, Kay?"

"Huh? Oh, no, actually I wasn't." 

"Well, at least you're honest," Selene sighed. "I asked what kind of place we are going to?" 

Kayo sat up, all trace of relaxation gone. 

"Can I level with you?" 

Selene frowned. "Sure." 

"I need complete discretion from you, you can't even tell John, OK?" 

"That doesn't sound good." 

"Just answer me, can I trust you, yes or no?" 

Selene liked Kayo, even if they didn't get to spend that much time together and weren't that close, and if she needed to confide in her about something or wanted Selene to keep a secret, then of course, she would. 

"Yes, I won't breathe a word about whatever it is." 

Kayo studied her for a second and then nodded, obviously satisfied. 

"There is no reunion drinks." 

Selene blinked, but then thought about it a little more. She hadn't stopped to think that Kayo didn't really seem the type to go out bar hopping with a bunch of women. 

"OK, so what are we doing instead?" 

"I need your help." 

"Obviously. I'll help with anything if I can, but I really don't know how I'll be of much use." What the hell could Kayo need her help with? There was nothing that woman couldn't handle on her own, in fact she generally preferred going all lone ranger. 

"I need you to use your gifts. You said you're basically a lie detector, right?" 

"Well, I wouldn't say a lie detector but I know when people are hiding something and not being entirely truthful."

"Good enough. Take a look at this," Kayo moved over to make room on the bed and Selene sat down. Kayo's comm began to flash up images with each touch of her finger. 

"This is Florin Reiter, a Romanian businessman whose company has been at the forefront of renewable energy for the last eight years."

Selene studied the face but having never really been one to pay much attention to the news she didn't recognise him, although his name sounded familiar. 

"You're gonna need to give me more than that to go on." 

"His company has been working for the past twenty years on revolutionary new ways of creating energy, they have two branches, one which collects and recycles 90% of all non biodegradable trash left over in mines and trash piles. He created a chamber which can incinerate almost anything down to less than 10% of its previous mass. The heat generated powers a specially designed steam chamber which creates electricity. They also have a uniquely designed composter which speeds the process of turning biodegradable produce -green and brown materials-into fertilisers and the resulting gases are collected and stored to be used as fuel."

"I know that the RNA -renewable energy association- sponsored and invested in a number of projects over the last thirty years to help with the fight against climate change, was he one of them?"

"Yes, he and his business partner were recipients of one of their grants. That's what got the company off the ground. The Hood was his partner, although when he was forced to disappear, wanted by the GDF, Reiter took full control of the company and has seemed to have zero contact with my uncle since. He's followed every law to the letter as far as we know."

"So what's the problem if he's stayed legitimate?" 

"There have been rumours trickling in over the last year that his operation might not be as squeaky clean as he would like us to believe. An area of the Black Sea has become polluted, and its source has been partially traced to the Danube River. Reiter just so happens to have one of his power plants in Bucharest, near the edge of the Danube Delta. Further down river has been showing signs of pollution too."

"Ah, so what's our job?" 

"To find out what he knows about it, if it's an accident or wilful negligence on his part, and if he's in any way still connected to my Uncle."

"How can I help with that? Do you need me to watch him while you question him and see what I can pick up?" 

Kayo grinned evilly. "No, I need you to do the questioning."

Selene backed up, shaking her head. "Nope. Nope. Nope. Not gonna happen, I'm not the secret agent type, I don't question people."

Kayo locked eyes with her, her tone firm. "You can and you will. I've watched you interacting with everyone on the island, I've seen you get more information out of them in half an hour than they have shared in months. You connect with people, look at what you've done to John." 

"But John's special, I love him, I love all you guys, I don't know if I can connect to someone that's potentially working with International Rescue's greatest enemy."

"Selene, he's your enemy too. It's not a case of us and you, you're part of the family as much as I am. And I know that, like me, you'll want to do everything you can to keep our family safe."

Selene was quiet for a few moments, letting the other woman's words sink in. "I know I am and you know I'd do anything I could to help."

"Then you can do this, I wouldn't ask you if I didn't think you'd be up to it."

Selene nodded. "I'll do it, just tell me what and how."

***

"One thing to remember is that Reiter is the most superstitious person you'll ever meet.This is why I asked you along. He believes in everything and he has been known to consult psychics before making big decisions. Play up to that."

A light bulb went off in her head. 

"That's where I know his name from. He's requested my services a number of times over the years but I've never accepted him, as I usually only work with those who have been recommended." 

"Perfect, that's even better! Just go in there, subtly draw his attention to you and then introduce yourself, do your witchy thing and direct the conversation as much as possible to get him to open up to you. And if all else fails, flirt your ass off, keep those puppies," Kayo gestured towards Selene's chest,"on display and dazzle him with your charms."

Selene tugged at her top pulling it up a little higher to protect the twins. "John is not going to be happy about this, you know that right? I don't like lying to him, we should have asked him."

"You didn't lie to him, I did. I didn't tell John because he'd be worrying and not want you to get involved. This isn't about getting his permission, this is about you doing the job with me."

Selene's hand shook slightly as she checked her smaller bag for the third time, making sure she had everything she might need. "Why did I agree to this again?" 

"Selene, get it together. You want to be part of International Rescue, you help out with your special skills, that's how this works, we're a team and I need you right now."

Selene took a deep breath and nodded. 

"You good?" 

She nodded again. 

"OK, let's do this. You go in first, I'll follow about a minute behind. Remember the plan?" 

"Yep, I got it."

"Good. But, before we go in, you might want to lose that, " Kayo nodded at her ring. 

"No way. Neglecting to tell everyone what we're up to is one thing, but I'm not dumping my fiancé too."

"He has to think you're available. He's a flirt, but he apparently has morals."

"Morals you don't?" Selene couldn't help the tone that laced her words. 

"Morals don't get the job done, and we need to do this. It's not like you're doing anything wrong."

Selene glared the whole time she took her ring off and moved it to her right hand, refusing to hide it completely, her raised eyebrow daring Kayo to argue with her. 

"And you're sure that this won't damage my reputation in any way?" 

"I promise. As it stands our secrecy is still holding, no one knows that you're with John, or that you have any involvement with us at all and we'd like to keep it that way for now. Just get him where he needs to be - somewhere away from prying eyes- and I'll do the rest."

"Alright, we got this."

The two women high fived. 

***

It was colder in Chicago than it had been in London, and definitely colder than the Island, not that that wasn't hard since it was down right tropical at least 95% of the time, and Selene cuddled deeper into her shawl. She hardly ever wore her more bohemian style of clothing unless she was working for someone who liked her to look the part and this guy seemed just the type. Any other time she was in a bar she would have worn something a little more casual, but Kayo had insisted that she needed to play the part of the gypsy fortune-teller, so here she was looking like a hippy wood nymph, trailing scarves and jangling as she walked from the many pendants and bracelets she had piled on, her comm hanging neatly in the middle.

The receptionist gave her a strange look when he saw her odd clothing choice and lack of luggage but with no reason to not allow her entry, he waved her through and let her pass. 

The inside of the hotel bar was like a throwback to the 1920s era mafia movie, all suited and booted busboys and waitresses in their flapper dresses, sporting short bobbed wigs. Selene felt like she'd stepped back in time, and very much like an accidental time traveller from a movie, she was standing out like a sore thumb. 

"Can I get you anything?" the bartender asked. 

Selene thought about it, she really needed to keep a clear head if she was to go through with this and have any chance of making it a success. 

"I'll just have a coke if I can, thank you."

The bartender shook her head. "Sorry, it's a house rule that you have to order a real drink even if you don't drink it."

"Oh, OK, can I just have a tequila sunrise then, please? I'm meeting a friend so is it OK if I find a table and wait for her?" 

"Sure, doll," the response was automatic and probably much rehearsed as she set about mixing Selene's drink. The concoction was poured into a glass with a dramatic flourish and topped with a red swirl of grenadine and some cherries. 

"Perfect, thank you."

The bartender nodded and took off to help another patron, leaving Selene alone. Time to get to work. 

Selene made a show of sipping her drink, checking her phone and looking all around the bar, making it very obvious that she was waiting for someone. She spotted Kayo at the other end of the bar but didn't acknowledge her, her eyes barely flickering over her, dismissing her as unimportant, although she did note the subtle head tilt to the left that her friend made. 

Selene checked her phone again, then did another sweep of the room, this time her eyes landed on their target, off to the left in a corner booth, exactly where Kayo had indicated. 

Selene gathered up her bag and drink and casually moved from the bar to a table closer to their mark, making sure that she wandered past Reiter, her weirdness on full display. She settled down and once she was sure he was paying attention she took her cards out of her bag and began to lay out a spread.

She risked a glance at Kayo, who pointed briefly at the ceiling, a blink and you'd miss it, subtle gesture that indicated she was supposed to bring it up a notch. 

Be more dramatic, she could do that. 

Selene closed her eyes, humming softly as if she were channelling something or someone, mumbling to herself under her breath just for show as she reached out with her gifts, focusing on Reiter. Her senses would tell her all she needed to know when the time came. 

She got her first feel of his energy and made a face. Ewww, how could someone feel slimy without you even touching them? Something she could only describe as greasy desperation hung around him, his aura pushing her away with his attitude. This was someone she would definitely avoid if he tried to chat her up in a bar and now here she was actively trying to get his attention. Yuck. 

It didn't take long for him to notice her and she waited less than five minutes for Reiter to send a message via a waitress with the invitation to join him for a drink. 

She took her time in packing up her cards and finishing her drink, checking her phone again under the pretence of still waiting for her friend before making her way over. 

She chose her own seat and sat down as gracefully as she could, playing the delicate fairy persona as much as possible. 

"Thank you for gracing me with your presence," he smiled, offering his hand. "I am Florin, and you are?" 

"Selene Tempest," she answered softly as she placed her hand in his, managing to suppress a shudder of revulsion as he lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a slobbery kiss to her skin. He looked at her over her hand in what she assumed he thought was a seductive way but his overly large eyes bulged out like a toad's, the image only made worse by his round bowl cut, dry skin and squat appearance. He let go of her hand and she only just resisted the urge to wipe the residue on her skirt. 

"Selene Tempest the psychic?" 

"You've heard of me?" Selene smiled lightly, channelling her inner hippy, keeping her tone misty and ethereal, a breathy voice with a soft, tinkling giggle that was nothing like her usual loud, infectious laughter. 

"Of course, you come highly recommended, I confess that I've tried numerous times to secure an appointment with you."

"Oh poo," Selene pouted delicately, drawing attention to her fuller bottom lip which she licked lightly before she spoke. "I had no idea, I'm so very sorry, I do get so awfully busy and my appointments fill so quickly. If I had known that such a gentleman as yourself wanted me, why I would have made a special effort to accommodate your needs." Hating every second of this but knowing it was for a good reason, she propped her elbows on the table top and lent forwards, giving him a good view of her chest. 

"Well," he cleared his throat, eyes never leaving her cleavage, "do you happen to have a little time now? I'll make it worth your while."

Selene made a fuss of checking her phone again. "I was supposed to be meeting a friend, but she seems to have been held up, so I'm sure I can spare a little time."

"Excellent," he clapped his hands like an excited child, obviously used to getting his own way. 

Selene held out her hand. "Give me your hand."

Florin dropped his hand into hers, his fingers gripping tight. 

"Such strong hands, to match your strong personality, I can tell," Selene extracted her hand and turned his over to display his palm. 

"Your lifeline here," she traced it with the tip of her finger, "is well defined, I see that you will live a long life in much comfort. No children as yet," she turned his hand to examine the side near his pinky finger. His fingers resembled sausages, fat little digits that looked like they might burst out of their skin any second. 

"Your marriage line shows three, you are a ladies man," she smiled suggestively. "But your heart belongs to your work."

"Yes, that's right," he nodded eagerly. "What else do you see?" 

Selene closed her eyes, holding his hand between both of hers, wishing she was wearing gloves. Up close the oily feel of his aura, one that told of secrets and deception, was even stronger and she disliked him immensely. Kayo had been right to investigate him. 

"I see… I see you surrounded by the things people throw away, the things no longer wanted or needed. You make them useful again. I see the image of a big building, with many workers inside, and trucks going through the gates."

"Yes, my plant, what about it?" 

"You are very successful," she whispered, looking around as if it were some kind of secret. "And clever. You know your own mind and you have the knowledge and drive to turn your visions into reality."

He preened, trying for modesty but not doing a good job of it. Selene resisted rolling her eyes at the bullshit falling effortlessly from her lips, maybe she was better at this spy thing than she had thought. 

Her eyes slid briefly to Kayo, one eyebrow lifting slightly in question? Should she continue? Should she push a little? Was Kayo getting all of it from her comm? 

Kayo nodded just once as if she were simply tossing her hair back over her shoulder. Selene had forced her to release it from its perpetual ponytail and had dressed her in tight jeans that hung low on her slender hips, along with a slinky, semi-sheer blouse in a deep red that perfectly complimented her complexion. The look was far removed from her usual style of practical and casual dress, but still suited her. 

Keep going, she could do that. Selene ran with it, gasping in shock, gripping his hand tightly before shoving it dramatically away from her. 

"I…oh! Oh!" 

"What? What's wrong?" 

"I see much trouble in your past," Selene ducked her head into her hands, unable to look at him in case she giggled. 

"Yes," he confirmed hesitantly. "Yes I understand that."

"This trouble was not all of your own making."

"No, it wasn't."

"I see a man who was not who he claimed to be. He was not the friend many though he was, a man of many faces, many personas which he shows to the world."

Florin gestured for her to continue. 

"This man, he is a very bad man, one that has done many cruel things to many people. You no longer associate with this man?" It was a question, not a statement. 

"No…I mean, no! Of course not."

Selene squinted at him through her lashes, her head bowed, hair hanging down to obscure her face. Just as she had suspected, his aura was pulled tight to his body, a sure sign he was lying. Under the cover of the table she gave Kayo a thumbs down. 

"Florin, my dear," she touched his hand tenderly, creating a connection, pushing her will towards him, urging him to believe her. "I worry for you, I forsee problems in the future if you continue on this path."

Reiter clutched at her hand, almost cutting off the circulation. "What can I do? Can you see? Tell me!" 

Selene shook her head. "I'm sorry, I cannot see. This," she waved her arm airily, "it is too noisy, too many people, I simply cannot go deep enough in such circumstances. Perhaps…"she smiled sweetly, innocently," perhaps we could go somewhere a little more private?"

"Oh, of course, yes, I have a room here if that will be sufficient?" 

"Perfectly," Selene nodded and rose gracefully to her feet, allow him to place his hand on the small of her back and guide her through the tables towards the door. As they reached the stairs he stepped aside to let her pass, although he neglected to remove his hand, allowing his palm to drift down to caress her backside. She clenched her hands around her bag, just barely holding on to her cool, wanting so badly to spin round and punch him. 

Of course he had the best room they had to offer, one with its own balcony that looked out over the city. It wasn't what she would call tastefully decorated, lots of lavish golds and ruffles on stuff that should not have ruffles, but it had a lounge area that she was very pleased to see - the idea of sitting on a bed with him was not appealing- and a fully stocked wet bar. 

"Would you care for another drink?" 

"Oh, no, thank you, I really shouldn't have had the one I did earlier if I'm working, but then I wasn't aware that I would be, so I'm sure I can be forgiven, can't I, darling?" she was getting really sick of the breathy, mystical fairy voice she was putting on, it was hurting her throat and she sounded like she should be on the end of a phone charging 2.99 a minute. 

"If you're sure?" 

"I'm sure," no way was she going to accept a drink from a stranger they were investigating, she was crazy but not that crazy. "Now, I need complete silence from you while I commune with the spirits and reach a light trance state, once I address you, you may answer questions with a yes or no only so as not to confuse the spirits. You understand?" 

"Yes, yes of course, I must say that I'm simply delighted I bumped into you tonight, it must have been fate, yes?" 

"I'm very sure that fate had a hand in it somewhere. Now, if you'll sit there," Selene pointed to the couch, "and close your eyes, I'll begin. I work with movement to achieve trance so I won't be still. I'll also need a candle, this one here will do nicely." She lit the candle on the table with the lighter that had been left there. "And I shall need you to open the doors if possible, I need fresh air to circulate."

Florin hurried to the balcony and unlocked the doors, caring nothing for security, them being eight floors up, and returned to take his place on the couch. 

Selene slipped off her shoes and began to move, humming a ridiculous little tune. As soon as she started to hum and sway he closed his eyes, cooperating fully with her requests. Honestly if he hadn't been a bad guy she'd have thought he was the best client ever. 

She was totally bullshitting, she didn't need to move, she didn't need to enter anything like a trance state, and she definitely didn't need to dance in a little circle like she was prancing around a fairy ring, waving her arms slowly like a demented windmill but it all added to the effect. 

She kept up her humming, chanting, ooming routine as she checked her comm for messages from Kayo under the pretence of using it to better connect with the spirit world, just in case Florin was sneaking a peek. 

She kept up her wishy washy waving wailing dance for another few minutes then dramatically dropped, landing on the floor in a cross legged meditation pose. Skills, that's what that was, mad skills. 

"We have come," she purposely slowed her voice and pitched it lower, sounding to her ears like she was half asleep, but it seemed to work for Florin.

"Hello," Florin greeted, immediately breaking the only a yes or no rule she had imposed.

"You have questions, we know this."

"Yes. "

"We are not here to answer, but to tell. We have come with a warning."

"Oh?"

"You are on a destructive path."

She heard his sharp intake of breath and continued. 

"You hurt the earth, you hurt the sea, you hurt the air."

She risked a peek at him and saw him visibly shaking, eyes squeezed tightly closed. 

"You have traded her health for your own personal wealth," hey, she was a poet and didn't know it. "You are guilty. You are guilty. Answer us!" wow, talking in the third person was weird as fuck. 

"Yes."

Selene caught sight of movement out of the corner of her eye and turned to watch Kayo land silently on the balcony with the grace of a jungle cat. Kayo raised a hand, making an 'OK' sign. Selene nodded, pressing her finger to her lips, then beckoned her closer. 

"You are guilty, will you repent?" 

"Yes, yes, I will repent."

Kayo slunk further into the room. 

"The man!" Selene yelled, making him jump and quake in his seat. She stifled a giggle when Kayo dissolved into silent laughter. Selene had to take a deep breath before continuing. 

"The evil man of masks, he is no longer in your past but in your present and future."

"Yes."

Kayo nodded, holding up her comm to show she was recording it. 

"I see a hood, a hood that obscures his face."

"Yes." 

"I see retribution coming, you must face it."

"No! No it wasn't my fault!" 

"Retribution and vengeance will come with the force of a Valkyrie from Valhalla!" Selene shrugged when Kayo raised an eyebrow at her, it was all she could think of. Kayo looked very much like a vengeful fury standing tall and upright, ready for battle, an air of danger around her. 

"It's coming!" Selene raised her arms, waving her them dramatically in her best oogie boogie fashion. 

"No!" 

"You cannot stop it!" 

"I must! Tell me how!" Florin's eyes snapped open, recoiling as he saw Kayo standing in the shadows. 

Selene dropped her arms. "She's here."

She shook her head as if coming out of her trance and gave what she thought was a very convincing act of shock and horror. 

"What are you?" Selene whispered, mostly because her throat now hurt after her trace voice but also because it sounded scared. 

"This does not concern you, you may leave."

Selene scrambled to gather her, shoes, bag and scarves which she had shed during her trance dance, edging towards the door. 

"Florin," she hissed. "Whatever she says, whatever she asks, answer her, for she is not of this world, that much I can tell." She slammed the door behind her, fast walking down the hall to the elevator, holding her breath so she wouldn't laugh until the doors closed on her. Then she let go, sagging against the wall as she giggled madly, a mixture of relief that it was over and shock that she had actually pulled it off. 

She just about pulled herself together enough by the time the lift doors opened to put her shoes back on and leave the hotel, heading out to wait for Kayo at the small cafe they had picked out. 

She was nursing her second latte and about to start munching her way through a grilled cheese when Kayo sailed through the door. 

Selene slid her espresso across the table ready for when she sat down. 

"Thanks," Kayo knocked it back in one gulp, making Selene shudder in horror. It didn't matter how many times she saw her do it her own taste buds always rebelled at the imagined bitterness. 

"Did he talk?" 

"Sang like a canary."

"Still got all his limbs?" Selene offered her half her grilled cheese. 

"Yep, and a nice new permanent room, free of charge, courtesy of the GDF."

"Nice!" They high fived their grilled cheese, tapping the crusts together. 

"We actually made a pretty good team," Kayo mused as she took a bite. 

"No need to sound so surprised about it," Selene smiled to show she was joking. 

"I'm not surprised that you pulled it off, I wouldn't have brought you along if I had any doubts, I'm just surprised at how much fun it was."

Selene snorted. "Yeah, that's gonna be my new party piece, channelling the great beyond." She sipped her drink. "You do realise we will have to tell the others what we were up to, don't you?" 

Kayo sighed. "Yeah, but I'll let you handle John."

"Thanks, so kind of you."

"Come on," Kayo stuffed the last of the sandwich into her mouth. "Let's head back to your place and spend the night there."

"Kayo Kyrano, are you seriously putting off going home?" 

"Not that I'll ever admit."

***

"What is that noise!" Selene covered her ears as she and Kayo walked into the lounge. An electronic voice was screaming an SOS through the speakers of the entire house. 

"Braman," Scott yawned from his spot on the couch. His head was in his hands and he was massaging his temples like he was trying to rub straight through his skull to his brain. 

Selene moved to stand behind him, pushing his hands out of the way as she took over, summoning up a little healing energy as she massaged his scalp. 

"Who's braman?" 

"A robot Brains built years ago, pre MAX. "

"I can filter out his distress call," John's voice floated up from the kitchen, but it had the slightly tinny tone of his hologram. 

"Should I assume he didn't make it home last night either?" 

"No, we had a rescue just after you two left, thankfully Braman was the only casualty," Scott sighed as her healing kicked in and his pounding headache eased a little. She moved her hands down to his shoulders, kneading the tight muscles. 

Gordon rushed into the lounge, heading straight to his fish tank where his hanger entrance was concealed. 

"He's going to get him," Virgil announced as he sloped in from the kitchen, followed by Brains, thumping down into one of the bucket chairs that would take Alan to Three. 

"How long has he been calling out?" 

"All night," Scott groaned. "Hence the headache."

"You gotta try to reduce your stress levels," she insisted as she dug her thumbs into the base of his neck, feeling him relax as he let out a small moan. 

"Marry me?" 

"I'll think about it."

"I heard that!" 

"Of course you did," Selene blew a kiss at John's hologram as his portrait lit up. "And don't think you're getting away with not coming back down soon, you owe me two days."

"And don't you think you're getting away without explaining why your comm said you went from London to Chicago and back again when the reunion was in Glasgow.

Kayo's comm beeped and she took off towards the hangers without another word. 

"Did she just fake that?" Selene asked John. 

"Don't try to change the subject-" 

Gordon's portrait lit up as he voice filled the room. "I've found some of the Calypso's wreckage."

"We'll talk about this later," John warned her as he logged off to help Gordon. 

"Still time to marry me instead."

"I'll let you know after he's done yelling at me."


	25. Enforced Breaktime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This idea came about after a chat with AvengedBiologist over on tumblr, who wanted Scott to have a break and made comments about his hair.

Selene plonked a massive sandwich down on the table beside Gordon then took the offered seat, letting him rest his cast covered leg across her lap. 

He picked up the plate and studied the sandwich from all angles. "Sel, that's bigger than my head, how am I supposed to eat it?" 

"You'll manage, you gotta keep your strength up." 

"There's keeping my strength up and then there's you fattening me up like a Christmas turkey when I can't move enough to work it off. I do actually want to fit back into my suit at some point, you know."

"Fine, ungrateful little shit," she groused good-naturedly and savagely ripped the sandwich in half, taking one part for herself. "Want me to drink the milk shake for you too?" 

"No! Mine."

She nodded to his sandwich and he dutifully took a bite.

"Who made sandwiches? Is there any more?" 

Selene gave in graciously and handed Alan her half. "Here, eat this, I only had it because fat boy here wouldn't eat it all."

"That's harsh, Sel," Gordon mumbled around a mouthful of sandwich.

"I don't care about getting fat," Alan sat down with his half and took a big bite. 

"I missed food again, didn't I?" 

"Yep, but you wouldn't have had time to eat anyway," Selene lifted Gordon's leg up and scooched out of the way, resting it back down on a pillow. 

"Why?" Scott frowned, "did I miss something?" 

"Nope, but we will if you don't get moving," Selene pushed him towards his room. 

"What? Sel, stop! What are you doing?" 

"Get your jacket, it's cold in London right now."

"Why do I need my jacket? I'm not going anywhere."

"Oh yes you are."

"Don't try to argue with her, bro, she's too strong for you," Gordon grinned from his relaxed recline. 

"Just give in now," Alan added. 

"There's too much to do," Scott grabbed hold of the door frame to stop her as she attempted to drag him through to the hall. 

"You need a break, you haven't had a night off in five weeks, Scott!"

"No, we need to do all we can to find Dad!" 

Selene stopped yanking on his waist, straightening to wrap her arms around his middle, resting her chin on his shoulder as she hugged him from behind. 

"One night isn't going to stop you finding him, you know that as much as I do, but it might make a difference to the son he comes back to."

He turned his head to look at her. "What do you mean?" 

"Well, to be blunt, you've been a bit of a dick lately and you need a break."

Alan choked on his sandwich, Gordon snorted out a shocked laugh.

Scott scowled, trying to unwind her arms but she held tight, knowing he'd never force her away and risk hurting her by accident. 

"Just stop for a second and think. You're stressed, you're on edge and you're anxious, I understand, we all understand, but you're all supposed to be pulling together, not pushing each other away. You're doing all you can, everyone is, but it's gonna take time, and there is no point spending that time dwelling and worrying."

She felt his ridgid stance relax little by little as she explained herself. 

"I know I haven't met your dad, but I've heard enough to know that he wouldn't want to come back to a find everyone like this, especially not you. I know you, you're one of my best friends, and I know you're just being you by taking it all on your shoulders and thinking you have to do everything and look after everyone, but sometimes you have to let people look after you too."

He squeezed her arm in acknowledgement, her words sinking in. 

"One night," she wheedled. "For me?" 

He sighed, shoulders dropping in defeat."Fine, one night."

"Yay!" she let him go. "Now stop being a dick and go get your damned jacket. I'll even let you drive my car."

"Joy," he sloped off to do as he was told. 

Selene turned to find Gordon and Alan staring at her like she'd grown a third boob in the middle of her forehead and it was doing a jiggly little dance. 

"What?"

"How the hell do you do that?" Gordon gaped. 

"Do what?" 

"Call him a dick, get a hug and then get your own way."

"I got mad skills, boys, mad skills, never forget that," she began searching around the lounge, gathering up her scattered belongings and tucking them into her suitcase sized handbag. "Where's my phone? Why does my stuff always go walk abouts?" 

"Scary skills more like," Alan tried to bat her away as she stole his phone to call her own, following the ringing. 

"Are you sitting on it?" she honed in on the muffled vibration she could hear. 

"I'd know if I was sitting on your phone," Alan rolled his eyes at her. 

"Get up!" she prodded his ribs with her finger. 

"So distrustful," he stuffed the last bite of sandwich in his mouth and rolled to the side, refusing to move further. 

"It's true, whenever something is lost you always suspect one of us is sitting on it, like we wouldn't know," Gordon agreed, slurping on his milkshake. "Where's the trust, Sel? Where's the trust?" 

"I lost my trust when you both promised you hadn't eaten my chocolate."

Selene was on her knees in front of the couch, hands groping around under Alan's butt when Scott returned. 

"Lost your phone again?" 

"No," she huffed, delving deeper between the cushions, just a little more…her fingers brushed something and she dragged it out. Victory! "I found my phone, someone was sitting on it."

"I can't be blamed for the couch eating it!" 

"You can be blamed for anything and everything, Allie," Scott grinned, earning himself a glare. 

Selene dropped a kiss on Alan's head. "I forgive you."

"I didn't do anything!" 

"Keep telling yourself that, boo."

She tossed her phone into her bag and crossed over to Gordon. "Need anything before we go?" 

"Yeah, actually, can you scratch my foot for me?" 

"Where abouts this time?" 

"Bottom."

"Lift up," she caught his ankle when he swung his leg up and used her long nails to scratch the arch of his foot. 

"Oh yeah, that's good…little lower…to the left…right there," he sagged contentedly and sighed. 

"You good?" 

"Yeah."

She lowered his leg to the pillow. "Little weirdo."

"You love me really."

"Luckily for you," she bent to give him a kiss on his cheek. "Be good you two, we'll be back tomorrow."

"Those boys have you wrapped around their little fingers," Scott teased as they headed down to Two's hanger where her car was stored. 

"So do you." She tossed him her keys which he caught neatly in one hand, plucking them out of the air. "Move your butt, or we'll be late."

***  
"How did you even hear about this, and how come I haven't?" Scott munched a handful of popcorn before offering her the tub. 

"I have my ways, I know people, people who happened to love the same shit movies that we do."

"This is definitely going to be an experience."

"Oh it really will, just remember, anything goes."

"Got it," he nodded, a smile already forming. That's what she wanted to see, her dude actually relaxing for once. "So, what are we watching?" 

Selene grinned evilly. "A little something called Twilight."

"Huh, never heard of it."

"Oh don't worry, it'll be an experience you'll never forget."

She was actually incredibly proud of this idea, and of herself for managing to drag him out of the house at all, honestly it was easier to get John down and home for a week. But she knew that Scott needed the break and this was the perfect thing. 

They had found out early on in their friendship that they both had a love of bad movies, the older and crapper the better. Ridiculous sci-fi, bad horror, rubbish actions, cheesy rom-coms, they watched them all and they talked the whole way through. They both had a sharp tongue when it came to yelling at the screen, something John had soon found out about her, much to his disgust. That was why Scott was usually her movie partner, because they both watched in the same way, critically and with zero fucks given. 

She'd received a call from a friend who often sent her movie recommendations, inviting her to the start of a new monthly viewing that he thought she'd enjoy. She'd gone along and knew instantly that she had to bring Scott next time. 

The movie theater was a small one, a little independent operation that specialised in older movies, cult classics and niche genres, and once a month they held a bad movie night. The audience was small, limited to fifty people, and the hour was late, but that was all part of the charm. 

You were actively encouraged to yell, to scream, to make as much noise as you wanted, to insult and swear, to throw popcorn, to boo, hiss and insult. Everything they did as standard. You were even awarded points for the funniest off the cuff comments if everyone else laughed, the prize was a free pass to the next one and the honour of being their mouth of the month. 

She'd told him all about it while he had expertly flown and then driven her car to her apartment where they would crash for the night. They had walked to the theater which wasn't too far away, feeling like they needed a change of scenery after being on the island for so long without a break. 

It had been a tough month, full on physically and emotionally, leaving them all feeling tired and drained. Selene could perfectly recall the horror she had felt when Gordon's comm had gone dead, when John had popped up, his usual neutrally calm expression one of terror as he announced in a shaking voice that Gordon had activated his emergency signal. 

They had all scrambled, leaving her alone on the Island with Grandma and Brains. She had felt next to useless, unable to do more than offer a comforting presence while they waited to hear what had happened to their little darling. Even though the boys had kept in constant contact it had been agonising not knowing what was going on or how bad it was. 

The boys had taken Gordon straight to the hospital on Grandma's insistence, Penelope, Parker and Kayo following. John had docked his elevator on the Island the second he knew that they had Gordon and he wasn't needed in Five to coordinate. He'd flown one of their civilian planes, taking Grandma and Selene with him. Selene had held his hand - whenever he could spare it from the controls- and Grandma's the entire time, twisted awkwardly in her seat so she could reach them both. It hadn't been a long flight but it had seemed to take forever. 

Seeing Gordon lying unconscious had been as bad as seeing John the same way, if not worse, because their Gordon was never quiet, he was never still, it was completely alien and that had been the scariest part of all. 

She'd stayed outside once he'd woken up and been treated, letting his family visit with him, while she spoke to the doctors, making sure that she had every scrap of information possible on his care and recovery process. He was hers and she was going to take care of him. 

She'd slipped in once everyone had left him, wanting to give him a little cuddle and some attention. 

His voice was weaker than she had ever heard it and it she had only just managed to keep the tears at bay. She'd sat beside him and held his hand while he promised her he'd be OK. They sat in silence for a while, Gordon seeming to doze off and she'd been about to leave when he tugged weakly on her hand. 

"I was really scared, Sel."

She scooted closer and held him tighter, resting her forehead against his. 

"I know, precious, we all were, we didn't want to think about a world without you in it."

"What am I going to do now?" 

She frowned, studying his face. "About what? All you've got to do right now is concentrate on getting better."

"What am I going to do now I can't swim? I can't let it all wash away, I won't be able to get out of my own head." 

Her heart broke for him, wishing she could do more than she was. 

"I'll help, I'll be there, just as I was for John, you remember? It won't be forever, but while you're stuck on land, I'll be right here beside you."

"You promise?" his pain filled voice was barely above a whisper. 

"I promise, baby, I'm not going anywhere, none of us are."

He gave a barely there nod but still winced in pain, the collar around his neck preventing more movement. "Pain meds are useless, I'll never sleep."

"Yes you will, I'll help," she toed off her shoes and took his hand in hers again. "I know it's hard, but relax for me, let me in like we normally do, forget where we are, just close your eyes and rest."

She summoned up her healing energy, the calm, relaxing power that hummed inside her. She pictured roots extending through the ground from her feet, connecting her to the earth. In her mind's eye she pictured his pain, saw it as a burning red covering his body. She let her healing out, let it bathe his battered body with her energy and strength, lending him what he didn't have, washing away the pain and replacing it with love and calm. She couldn't do much permanently, his body would still need to heal itself in its own time, but if she could make it a little more bearable for him, then she would. 

She began to stroke his hair, soothing him as she had his brother, unable to deny the comparison. When John had been unwell it had just been him she cared about, now all of them had wormed their way into her heart, she cared about them all more than she thought possible. It was times like these that really brought home the fact that no matter how careful and skilled they were, things could and did go wrong, her boys got hurt and she hated it. 

She felt his body relax, heard his soft sigh and soon after his even, relaxed breathing as he slipped into a deep slumber. She stayed with him for another ten minutes until John silently opened the door, coming to collect her. He noticed her shoes on the floor and her hand on his brother and graced her with a tired but welcome smile, knowing she was doing all she could. He raised an eyebrow, his universal sign for 'you ready?' and she nodded. 

She gently extracted her hand from Gordon's and brushed a soft kiss to his cheek before she picked up her shoes and tiptoed out of the room. 

Gordon had stayed in hospital for a week and she and Grandma had refused to leave the vicinity, taking a room at a nearby hotel so they could be with him as much as possible, there if he ever needed them. The boys had gone back to the island, needing to keep IR ticking over in their absence. 

Gordon had only been back a day when Brains had announced that he'd found something. The next four weeks had been a whirlwind of activity, building a new Four, and keeping up with rescues. Kayo and Penelope were hardly ever around, busying themselves with tracking down as much information as possible, and the boys had spend their time scouring space and sea for clues as to the whereabouts of their father, now that they knew there was a chance that he was alive. 

Scott had been obsessive in their quest, even more so than John, which was saying something. She knew that he needed a break before he broke. His constant moods had put a strain on the rest of the family, although no one blamed him for it. He was snappy, impatient and liable to take more risks than usual. He needed to get out and she had decided she was just the woman to force him to do it. 

***

They were half way through their bucket of popcorn by the time the movie started, but it had been nice to chat quietly together without everyone else around. She loved all the family equally, but she was the closest to Scott and she didn't even know how it had happened. Scott was a flirt, he had a wicked sense of humour when in the right mood, but he also had a calm side to him that she found relaxing. She had no doubt that John would have gotten her safely out of that tree the night they met, but it had been Scott that had rocked up with the easiest solution and saved her the stress of dangling from a rope like a worm on a hook. It had been Scott that had spoken to her so openly and honestly at Penny's ball, it had been Scott that had noticed when she was uncomfortable and made an effort to include her, it had been Scott that had listened to her about John, who she had trusted enough to oversee her Zero-G training and Scott she could get comfortably drunk with. She'd been right when she had said he was one of her best friends, because somehow he had inserted himself into her life as much as she had his. 

The lights dimmed and the opening credits rolled through. Straight away Scott was judging, from the second Bella began talking. 

"It's not one of these teen movies where I have to put up with an overly dramatic teenager narrating her way through life, is it? I get enough of that with Alan."

"'Fraid so," she patted his arm. 

"I can already tell that I hate her, she's moaning about everything."

Selene nodded. "It's gonna get worse rather than better."

They watched as Bella bumbled her way through ten minutes of nothing, happily munching. 

"She's a bit miserable, isn't she?" Scott commented. "Crack a smile will you."

"Not gonna happen," Selene grinned. 

"Who's that guy with the hair?" 

"That's Jacob."

"He gonna be her boy? Is it one of these things where it's unrequited love?" 

"Watch and find out."

"I don't know if I want to."

"You're braver than that, man up."

Selene sipped her drink, then offered Scott some of her chocolate. 

"Oh, the typical high-school," he broke off a hefty chunk of the bar and took a big bite. 

"Don't have that in England."

"Be grateful…oh, I call bullshit, she didn't even know how to handle a manual truck two seconds ago and now she's driving like a pro?" 

"Yep."

"Is she one of those Patty Perfect type of characters?" 

"It's a Mary-Sue and yes she is, but you know, she's clumsy so that evens it out and means that other girls don't hate her because she's beautiful."

"Why does everyone keep laughing at everything she says? She's not even funny."

"Why do we laugh at Gordon?" 

"Because of his face?" 

Selene nodded her confirmation. 

Scott was quiet for a few more minutes before he launched right back into it. 

"What, so she smells now? Is that why people keep laughing at her?" 

"No, she only smells to him and those like him."

"What? How is that possible, does he have some kind of super nose?" 

"Something like that."

They sat through Bella pining over Edward's empty seat and the Cullens -who Scott insisted on calling the cool crew- staring judgingly at Bella and Bella stomping her way around the place with a perpetual air of 'how am I even breathing?'

"What? He stopped the truck with his hand? What is he, superman?" Scott was unimpressed. 

"Vampire!" someone back shouted from further along the row of seats. Scott swivelled round to face whoever it was that had yelled. 

"Vampire? Seriously? But he's acting like a pre- pubescent puppy with a crush on his teacher!" 

Several people sniggered at Scott's dismayed reaction. Selene gave him some more chocolate to placate him. 

"Why is he in her bedroom? Isn't that illegal? And why isn't she bothered about it?" 

Selene giggled, it was so nice to see Scott animated and enjoying himself, even if he was complaining. 

"She's not bothered by anything," Selene pointed out. "She has the emotional range of a dried up puddle."

Scott sniggered, as did a couple of other people in the row behind them. They shared some more popcorn, finishing the first tub and starting on the second. They always bought one each but ended up sharing, it was just how they worked. 

"So she went all that way for a book that was on Amazon?" 

Selene nodded. "Yep."

Scott shook his head. "Weird."

They watched as Bella was surrounded by men who clearly had only one thing on their mind. Edward screeched up in a car and plucked her out of harm's way, taking her to dinner after. 

"So she now thinks she knows what he is?" 

"Yep."

They watched Bella confront Edward. Selene held her breath as he stepped out into the sun. 

"He sparkles?" Scott exploded out of his seat, throwing the empty popcorn tub at the screen. "Stop that! Be a real vampire, burn in the sun. Why aren't you burning? Burn I tell you!" 

Their fellow audience burst out laughing, applauding his outburst as Selene dragged him back into his seat. 

"How is she so ungrateful for everything?" Scott asked as Bella appeared to turn her nose up at the food the Cullens had tried to prepare for her. "My Grandma would never allow that kind of behavior, and I'm sure her food is worse."

"Because she is the worst. She's a rude, unemotional, plank of wood."

Scott grinned at her, then lifted his arm as if he were hugging someone. "Hi, this is my new girlfriend, Plank."

"Hi, Plank, how you doing today?" Selene joined in, shaking an invisible hand. 

"She's a bit shy, so I'll answer for her, she's doing well, had a rough few days but nothing a little sanding won't cure."

" Jasper's side whisper 'does Edward know he's dragging a tree around with him?'" Selene tacked on, acting out the part of the Cullens.

"At least he's drawn a face on it."

Selene cracked up laughing, unable to continue, as did the rest of the audience. 

***

"I bow down to you, Sir Mouth of the Month!" Selene dropped into a curtsey. 

"I thank you," he dipped his head in acknowledgement. "That movie really was the worst vampire movie I've ever seen. Even when she's dying she can't drag up an expression, why did everyone like her so much? She was rude, dismissive, stupid and annoying. I just don't get it."

"You and a million others, love. But for its time it was a really popular movie, I'm talking fans everywhere, people picking teams, Edward was the fantasy boyfriend of many a teenage girl and everyone wanted to be Bella." She looped her arm through his as they walked. 

"You were right."

"I usually am, but remind me what about this time."

He gave her a look that said he highly doubted her statement. "The fact that I needed a night off."

"I know, I just wanted you to admit it."

He flicked her hand in punishment, making her squeak out a laugh. "Oww, you bully."

"I'm the bully? You bullied me into coming out with you tonight."

"And I was riiiiiiiight. You admitted it, you can't take it back."

Scott sighed, but was still smiling so she called it a win. 

"Thank you for bullying me into leaving, I know I've been a bit impatient and short fused recently, it's just been a really tough few weeks."

"I know, love, we all do. And everyone understands how you feel. None of us blame you for being worried."

"I'm not just worried, Sel, I'm scared."

Selene stopped dead, turning to look at him. Scott was never scared, or at least not that he'd admit. His smile had vanished and the tense look was back on his face. Spotting a bench nearby she dragged him over and forced him to sit down. 

Taking his hand in hers she held it tight."Talk to me, we aren't moving until you do."

He shrugged, not really knowing what to say. "It's been a long time, you know? What if he's damaged somehow, different? We've changed, we've grown up, we had to, and I suspect he has too. What if he's not the man we knew?" 

She nodded, knowing exactly what he meant. "Sweetheart, you're right, he probably has changed, in fact it wouldn't be normal if he hadn't. Whatever state you find him in, he's going to have gone through some shit and that changes a person."

Scott was quiet for a moment or two, but when he spoke his voice had lost that confidence she was used to hearing. "What if he's not alive? What if we're too late, if we didn't get his message in time? He would have been out there, all alone, waiting for us to come and we didn't. We left him there."

"No! No, I'm not allowing you to think that way. You guys are not to blame for this in any way, shape or form. You all looked for him, you investigated everything."

"Clearly not everything."

"You did everything you could."

Scott looked her dead in the eyes then. "Selene, answer me honestly?" 

"Of course."

"Do you remember on Christmas eve when you and John made your little announcement?" 

"Could hardly forget it. What about it?" 

"Grandma said something about wanting Dad to be there but how he was with us in spirit. I don't think anyone else noticed, but I saw the look on your face. I know when you're hiding something and you were then. You said you'd know when someone was dead because you'd sense them. Have you sensed him? Is my dad dead?"

Selene closed her eyes, not able to stand the look of desperation on his face, pressing her lips together as she thought about how to answer him. 

" I can't say for sure…"

"Gut instinct, Sel. Yes or no?" 

She shook her head. "No. I haven't sensed anyone around the island at all. If I had to give an answer, my answer is no, I don't think he's dead."

She felt him squeeze her hand tight, heard the huffing release of the breath he had been holding. 

"Thank you." 

"No, please don't thank me, not yet, because I could be wrong, we don't know where he ended up or what happened, the spirit world doesn't have definitive rules, I can't-"

He stopped her with a finger to her lips. "Please stop talking, just let me have this hope, just for a bit longer, because I trust you more than I trust myself right now."

She nodded, understanding, giving him her promise and full support. 

"Whatever happens, I'm here for you all."

Scott gave her a brief, tight smile, barely a flexing of his lips and another squeeze of her hand. 

"He'll be home soon, he has to be." He laughed, a harsh, humourless sound. "What's he going to think of me, going to pieces like this?" 

"He'll think, no, he'll know, that you've done your best, that you've done everything in your power to keep his family together, and he'll know that you not only rose to the challenge but succeeded."

"I haven't done things the way he would."

"No, because you aren't him, no matter how much you might want to be. Babe, you're you, and that's perfect. You don't need to change or to fit anyone's mold but your own."

"It's been eight years, Sel. Eight years we've been trying to keep his dream alive, trying to do our best for him and Mom, saving people so others didn't have to feel the loss we have. But it's been a long eight years, and I'm tired, so fucking tired."

She pulled him into her arms, hugging him tight.

"I know, my lovely, I know."

"I'm tired, I'm stressed out. I feel old, I look old!" 

Selene snorted. "Like hell you do.You look as hot as ever."

"I found my first grey hair last week, three yesterday, and another two today. They're multiplying at an alarming rate, I'll be white within a month. I can't cope with that knowledge. I feel like everything is against me, even my own body."

Scott freaking out over this was strange, usually he only got this worked up when his brothers were in danger, never over his own wellbeing. But she could understand it, when all you could rely on was your body and you felt like it was betraying you, it was hard to deal with. 

"Babe, you aren't old, you're stressed, when this is all over you won't see another grey for years, " Selene smiled, kissing the top of his still perfectly dark head. "You'll get through this, you're strong, and you know I'll do all I can to help, even if that means buying you a box of hair dye and doing it myself."

He sat up out of her embrace. "Really? You'd do that?" 

"I was joking, babe." 

"I'm not."

"Are you seriously wanting me to do this?"

"You won't tell anyone?" 

"Have I told anyone what we do when we go out drinking?" 

He grinned. "No."

"Then you know I got choo boo."

"You wouldn't mind? You won't think badly of me and judge me for being a vain idiot?" 

"Urghh you're such a man. You think my hair is naturally black and purple? Hair is part of you and you have to feel confident with it." 

He squinted at her. "What colour is it then?" 

"Dark blonde, but don't you dare tell anyone. I mean, John probably already knows because nothing is a secret with him and I think he hacked the private albums on my Holobook the night we met so he's probably seen my unfortunate teenage phase, but that's not me anymore, this is, so he can take it or leave it."

"I'm pretty sure he's keeping you."

Selene stood up. "He'd better be, I do a lot of sketchy shit for his brothers."

Scott grinned, letting her pull him to his feet. 

"I appreciate your help with sketchy shit, and your silence."

"Come on, you, I know a 24hr shop where we can get you some dye and a great Chinese take out place."

***

An hour later and Scott was sat in a chair, a towel around his shoulders, eating chicken chow mein from the box as she painted the colour onto his hair with a dye brush. 

She had him tipping his head this way and that, making sure she covered every strand of his incredibly thick hair. She'd made sure to buy dye that was designed for a man's hair and would match his perfectly, leaving it looking so natural that no one would know. 

She covered the last inch or so, using her glove covered fingers to massage it down to the scalp then covered it all with one of her shower caps. 

"There, now we wait for twenty minutes, you can time it." She shed her gloves and flopped down on the sofa, stealing one of his spring rolls and replacing it with one of her chicken balls. 

"I feel like an idiot."

"You look like one too. Oi!" The chicken ball hit her square between the eyes, bouncing off her forehead. "I was joking!" 

"I'm glad I'm only your backup husband, because you're mean."

"Husband? You've upgraded yourself I see."

He shrugged. "Gotta keep you in the family some how."

"Believe me, I'm not going anywhere," she forked up a mouthful of rice. 

"I know."

Selene got up and fetched them both a can of coke, handing him his. He took it but caught her hand as she walked past. 

"Thank you."

"It's just a coke."

"No, I mean thank you for this, for helping and not laughing at me. There was no one else I thought I could talk to about this."

"Babe, I'd never laugh at someone wanting to feel better about themselves, especially not you."

She sat back down and then ate in companionable silence until his comm dinged. 

"Time to rinse!" 

***

It was a much more relaxed Scott that Selene delivered back to the lounge the next morning, though they all knew it probably wouldn't last long. But his hair looked great in the fact that you couldn't tell anything had been done to it, it's usual rich browns with dashes of auburn were exactly the same. 

He'd slept deeply, tucked away in the bed in her work room, and they had both enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at a nearby cafe, mainly because they didn't trust Grandma's cooking. 

"Did you have a good time?" Grandma asked when they returned.

"Yeah, turns out I needed it."

"Well I could have told you that, but you boys never listen to me."

"Where did you go?" Gordon asked from his customary spot on the couch, "and did you bring me anything?" 

"We went to the movies."

"Well that's boring."

Selene dug in her bag and brought out a couple of breakfast muffins for Gordon. "It wasn't boring, it was fun, your brother is a champion."

"He what?" Gordon mumbled around a huge bite of muffin. 

"He is the Plaza Theater's Mouth of the Month."

"Do I even want to know?" Grandma looked confused. 

Scott glanced at Selene and grinned. "Probably not."

"And on that note, I'm off. Can one of you call EOS and get her to bring the elevator down? I want to surprise my man."

"I'll do it, she doesn't argue with me," Scott sat himself down at the desk. Selene couldn't help but notice the very brief but fond pat has gave the desktop as he took his seat. It was, and would forever be Jeff's desk and even though Scott had relaxed a bit, it was obvious that he was still anxious and on edge. 

Selene had blown them all a kiss goodbye, got cornered by Gordon who requested a drink before she left, and dispensed muffins to Alan and Virgil before she made it to the elevator, which was waiting patiently in its dock. 

She could never quite relax in it, especially when John wasn't there, but it was a necessary evil that she had to suffer through to get to her man and his beloved craft. 

She didn't bother with her suit as she boarded, it was constricting and she only used it when she had to now. How John kept his on the entire time she'd never understand, but it did do magical things to his already incredible butt, so she wasn't going to complain. 

She entered the gravity ring from the elevator dock and once again she was blown away by the sight that met her eyes. The universe stretched out before her, the earth hung below her and the echoes of lunar and solar power seeming to hum in the air even with the thick glass and metal of Five encasing her. She pulled herself away after a moment or two, just wanting to see John. 

She went in search of him, checking the kitchen, the bedroom and the gym area but they were all empty. She was about to head for the command module when she heard a noise above her head. 

"John is in the viewing platform."

"Typical, I should have checked there first, thanks EOS."

She changed direction, walking a little quicker, now wanting nothing more than a kiss from the most important person in her life. 

She rounded the sweeping curve of the ring and stopped dead, shocked by the sight. 

"John, baby?"


	26. Heartbreak

At first she had thought he was just sitting in his usual spot on one of the benches that lined the observation deck, bending over to look down at the earth below them. But then she noticed the dejected slump of his body, his head in his hands and the subtle shaking of his shoulders.

He obviously heard her footsteps approaching and looked up. His face, that gorgeous face that she knew almost as well as her own was streaked with tears, his expression one of pure sorrow and desolation. 

"John? Baby?" 

Her soft words were enough to break him, his face crumpling. He reached out to her and she was there in an instant, catching his hand in both of hers. 

She fell to her knees in front of him, not knowing what the hell was going on but knowing that he needed her. She kissed his hand, first his knuckles, then his palm and the inside of his wrist, needing him to know she was there. 

He leant forwards, his hand closing around hers, tugging her closer. She didn't ask what was wrong, he wasn't at the point of being able to speak. His body felt stiff and unyielding, like he was physically trying to hold himself together. 

"It's OK, baby," she caught his face in her hands, pressing soft kisses everywhere she could reach, his cheeks, salty with his tears, his forehead, his lips that weren't curving into their usual smile for her. 

"I'm here, my love, I'm here."

He slumped further forward then, his face buried against her chest, letting her wrap her arms around his shoulders and draw him closer. 

"I've got you, you're OK, baby."

She heard a soft whimper escape his throat, the most heartbreaking sound she'd ever heard from anyone let alone the man she loved with all her heart and soul. She held him tighter, felt his arms slide around her waist, clinging tightly. His legs seemed to give way as he slid off the bench and onto the floor beside her. 

She held him as his last ounce of strength abandoned him and he came apart in her embrace. She held him as he sobbed like his heart was breaking, held him as his body shuddered and shook with the force of the emotions riding him. 

"You're OK, you're safe. I've got you." What the hell happened while I was gone? she asked herself, unable to comprehend anything so bad that would affect her spaceman in such a way. She knew the family was safe, she knew that no one was hurt, there were no emergencies that needed coordinating, she was drawing a blank. 

She stroked his back, rocked him like she would a child, knowing that he needed her more than ever at that moment, no matter what it was that had happened. 

She didn't know how long they sat there, wrapped in each others arms but it was long enough for her butt to start aching on the hard floor of the gravity ring and for her foot to go to sleep. She didn't know how long it took for his tears to stop, but he'd been silent for a long time. Maybe she should risk speaking. 

"Baby, talk to me, please?"

"I…I can't…"

She nodded her understanding, not about to force him to talk if he didn't want to, she just contented herself with holding him tighter, whispering soothing nonsense to him as she sought to soothe him, wanting, no needing, him to be OK. 

She kissed his neck, kissed his jaw, kissed his chin and up to his lips, soft butterfly kisses, while silently praying that he would respond. It took him a few minutes but he finally turned his head, his lips meeting hers in a gentle kiss. 

"I love you," she whispered, a declaration and a promise. 

"I love you too."

She felt him move and let him go, let him move out of the shelter of her arms. He rested his back against the edge of the bench, his head still bowed, looking down at the endless expanse of space below them. 

She moved to sit beside him and slid her arm around his waist, resting her head against his shoulder. He took her hand in his, studying her fingers, as if he needed something to focus on, his thumb stroking over his ring on her finger. 

They sat in silence for a long time, Selene too worried to risk talking and fucking things up further, she needed to give him time to process and talk if he wanted to. When he finally found the words his voice was soft and pain filled. 

"I don't know how I didn't pick it up."

She frowned, lifting her head to look at him. 

"Pick what up?" What was he talking about? John noticed everything. 

"His distress call. Braman managed it, a hunk of junk more than a decade out of date, picked up my father's distress call and I didn't. I scan everything, I hear everything, but I didn't hear him." 

"Babe, no, you-" 

"I failed him, Sel, I failed to hear the one person that mattered the most."

"You could never fail him."

"But I did," the desolate tone of his voice broke her heart just as surely as his tears had, making her want to weep for him, for them all. 

"He disappeared eight years ago, eight years. And every night, from that first night to the night Brains translated Braman's SOS, I've run scans, checked every known frequency he's ever used, and I never caught it. How did I not catch it?" 

Selene turned to wrap her arms around him again, needing him to know he was loved. 

"Our original Five didn't have the capabilities this one does, but since her overhaul it was easier to program in everything, even EOS has been looking since she joined me, I didn't have to spend as much time on it then."

That made sense. "Is that why you spend so much time up here?" 

"One of the reasons, yes."

"Babe," she kissed his shoulder affectionately, "this is not on you. You weren't to know, none of you were."

He pulled himself up and out of her arms, walking the length of the observation deck and back again, his body stiff with tension, lacking his usual effortless grace. 

"I should have known! Don't you see? I should have thought of that. I should have thought of everything, that's my job!" 

Selene shook her head, denying his statement. "No, it's isn't. It's not your job to know everything or to plan everything."

He continued to pace, still ranting, he had no control over the words that were now spilling forth. Some seal inside him had broken and there was no way to keep it all inside a moment longer. He needed to make her understand, to see him for the failure that he was, to see just how badly he had let everyone down, especially his father. 

"I'm the logical one, Sel! I'm the one that can think things through and come up with a solution. I don't stop until I find an answer to a problem. I look at every angle, I look at all the information. But I didn't with this! How could I not have done it?" 

"Because you were in shock! You were mourning. Baby, you're human, you can't do everything."

He ground to a halt, his fingers raking through his hair as he let out a frustrated bellow. His harsh words, when he spoke, came shooting out like bullets. 

"I should have looked! I should have studied the plans, I should have done everything that Brains just did, but I should have done it sooner. I should have called up the schematics and checked each and every camera on that fucking machine and I should have looked for that escape capsule before. We knew that fucker survived, we knew, yet we didn't figure it out. I didn't figure it out! We didn't ask ourselves how he survived, if I had of done I would have realised all this years ago. Instead I've condemned my father to eight years of hell in a place where he is far away from everything and everyone that he knew."

He took a shuddering breath, his words harsh and ragged, like they had ripped from the very depths of his soul.

"He could have ended up in some desolate wasteland somewhere, alone and scared, calling out for help, believing that we would hear him, that I would hear him, and that we'd come for him. But we didn't. And that's only if he managed to land that thing! If he didn't, if it was damaged somehow it could be floating out there, the life support wouldn't have lasted this long. He could have been counting down the days, the hours until he would die and we did nothing! And I'll never forgive myself for that. Never."

Selene was stunned into silence by his outburst, it was so unlike her usually placidly calm John. He never shouted, he hardly ever lost his cool or allowed emotions to stand in the way of his logic. 

She wanted to help him, she wanted to make him feel better, but she didn't know how. She scrambled to her feet, catching his hand as he began to pace again, dragging him round to face her. 

"Listen to me, stop and listen, there was nothing you could have done differently, you all acted on the information that you had. How old were you when your Dad vanished?" 

"What does that have to do with anything?" 

"How old were you?" 

"Almost Twenty."

She pulled him back into her arms, although he fought her attempts to comfort him, freeing himself almost immediately. She tried very hard not to take it personally. 

"Baby, you were nineteen years old. I know you are a fucking genius who hit university years ahead of your peers, but you were still a teenager, you can't take that responsibility onto your shoulders. You did what you could with the resources you had, you didn't give up on him, I know you didn't, he'll know you didn't. You'd didn't have the technology you have now, you were studying in between stints up in Five and you were doing everything at a hundred percent of your ability. You did everything and more. You never gave up on him."

"No, I didn't," his eyes were sad, haunted. "But I stopped trying so hard, I stopped giving the searches my full attention. I stopped doing them by hand and automated them, I left it to EOS to squeeze in between rescues."

"Babe, no."

John pulled away, needing to not be coddled, he didn't deserve comfort at that moment, besides, any more love from her and he'd break again. The desperate sadness she'd walked in on had morphed back into anger, anger at himself, anger at The Hood for his role in it and anger at whichever higher power had allowed it to happen. He didn't believe in deity as she did, but he did believe in the power of the universe, the celestial bodies that made up his world. He just didn't know why so many bad things had to happen to good people. In truth he'd like them to all be out of a job, because then he'd know the world was a better place. 

He'd tried to believe the things she said, he knew she meant well, but he couldn't get the images out of his head, couldn't rid himself of the thought that his father had been alive when he had been blasted off to fuck knew where, that his father had sent out a desperate message meant just for them and he, the one supposed to hear everyone, to never miss a distress signal or a call for help, had remained ignorant. 

"Have you ever heard someone die?" 

He didn't know why he had let that thought surface enough to leave his mouth, but there it was, a hideous question that hung between them. Her eyes had widened in shock, unable to understand why he would ask her such a thing, unable to answer. 

"Because I have, too many times. I remember each and every one of them. People we couldn't reach in time, people that were gone before they even finished their call, people who called out for help and didn't get it."

He waved a hand, calling up one of the smaller holo projectors that lined the entirety of five. He tapped a few boxes on the screen and typed in a password of some kind and up popped a call log. There were 29 separate calls, each with a red cross next to them. 

"Pick one."

"I'm sorry?" She didn't understand what he was asking, he knew that, but it was important she did. She wanted to share his life with him, then she was going to get all of it. He was tired, tired of doing everything alone, tired of hiding part of his truth through fear of chasing her away or putting too much on her. He wanted to share everything with her, just as she asked him to, the good and the bad. She had brought a lightness into his life with her crazy ways and loving heart, but she couldn't make this better for him, and she needed to know why. 

"Pick one, it's not a hard request."

She stared him down, ignoring the tone, as she touched one of the listed calls at random. A box popped up but he didn't even need to look at it to know what she was reading. 

"That was a climber who broke his ankle after a nasty tumble. He called for help but the local authority was on hand and dispatched a team, while I was liaising to arrange his rescue he stayed on the call, but he didn't listen to the instructions given. He didn't stay still, he got up, trying to see where he was. The edge of the mountain was crumbling and it gave way under him. I heard him screaming as he fell and I heard it abruptly stop as he hit the ground. I heard the phone clatter against the rocks and go dead."

She was shocked, he could tell, he knew her well enough by now. 

"Pick another."

Her hand was shaking slightly as she touched another, the file opening. 

"Family of four, nine car and one truck pile up, the truck crashed into a bridge and fishtailed out, catching the two cars behind it, which slammed into the ones following. Virgil and Gordon were on their way, I was on the line when part of the bridge collapsed on top of their car. Two parents and two children. One more."

She pointed to another, not needing to actually call up the file, knowing he'd have it memorised as he had everything else. 

"Retired firefighter, he had risked his own life to rescue three people from a burning apartment, breaking down the door and guiding them out and had gone back in for a fourth and fifth in another at the top of the six storey building that he lived in. I told him to wait, I told him I'd called the local authorities, his own fire station was responding, but they were too late, he was overcome with smoke and I listened as he coughed and wheezed, listened as the hot ash filled his lungs. I talked to him as he took his last breaths, I told him that the people he saved were doing well. I didn't tell him that three other people died in there with him that night." He gestured to the screen."I remember each and every one of them. I listened to all these people die."

Selene wanted to hold him, to do anything she could to help but instinctively knew that if she were to touch him now he'd retreat even further into himself and never let it all out. 

"You did all you could, you were there for them, in their last moments someone who cared was with them, you did good, bubba, they didn't die alone."

"But what if Dad did? What if he called out and I never heard, what if he died alone out there and I wasn't there for him? We have no idea how long ago that message was transmitted. He survived the launching of Zero-X, but we have no idea how long for after." 

It was then that she realised exactly what he was thinking, what he was torturing himself with. 

"Please, sweetheart-" she reached for him but he avoided her grasp. 

"No, don't touch me, I need you to not touch me right now."

She held her hands up in a gesture of submission, stepping back a few paces. She'd never seen him this affected by something he had no control over, but maybe that was the problem, he wanted control over it, and the fact that he couldn't was too much for him. 

"What if he's dead? We've all thought about it before, I know we have, even though we never spoke the words, there was still a finality about it, and we'd all managed to accept it in our own way. But now this has brought everything back, brought back all the questions."

He backed up a few steps, taking the display screen with him, his eyes scanning the logs. He pointed to one."This was a crew out on a craft heading to Venus for a fact finding mission as part of a mining company. Something went wrong, we still don't know what. But they just had time to get out a call to their main ship, which I intercepted. Their main ship was floating nearby and they refused to allow us to help, saying they would handle it. But they didn't, they couldn't get there in time. The life support fritzed out and the crew were relying on their suits and breathing apparatus. Unfortunately it only held twenty minutes of air and by the time their organisation allowed us to mobilize they were dead. I talked to them the entire time, I heard their breathing grow laboured as they wasted their last units of precious oxygen to ask me to pass on messages to their loved ones." 

He tapped the log and it opened, showing the details of the incident but also the messages he had noted and subsequently delivered.

"I learned that their names were Jessie, Clara, Tim and Ralph. They told me how old they were and where they grew up, and once they had told me their messages I talked them through a visualisation, of their homes and their families, to bring them a little closer as they passed on. I heard their choked panting and when they sucked in their last breaths to then go silent. Their company never followed up with me about them, they didn't care."

Selene was horrified that any company could be so cruel. 

"It was Alan and Scott that retrieved the craft and towed it home so their families could claim their bodies. So you see, I know what it sounds like to die out in space."

John swiped at the screen again, dismissing the call logs and bringing up the ones that catalogued every sweep he'd made in the last eight years, each one negative, the last one recorded as being six weeks before. 

"I looked for him everywhere, even though I never really believed that I'd find him. Maybe that's the problem, I never believed he was out there, so I didn't find him. Brains found all this in a matter of weeks, why wasn't I good enough? Why didn't I find him? I stopped trying so hard, I abandoned him as surely as that company abandoned that crew." His eyes glistened with unshed tears that she desperately wanted to wipe away, but she was determined to respect his rule of no touching until he was ready. 

"Baby, you are more than good enough, and we're going to find him. You will get him back, I just know you will. You didn't abandon him, you didn't leave him to die alone because you will see him again. I have faith, and you need to have it too."

"What if I've lost my faith?" his voice was soft, almost a whisper. 

"Then I'll have faith enough for both of us."

He moved slowly, tentatively, reaching out a hand to draw her closer, wrapping his arms around her, holding her tightly against his chest. She gave it a minute before doing the same, her fingers sliding up and down his spine in a soothing caress. 

She felt a subtle shudder run through him, followed by his soft sigh. She supported his weight as he sagged against her, burying his face in her neck as she held him tight. 

"We'll get through this, bubba, I promise. Whatever happens, however long it takes, we'll get through it together. Besides, we have to find him, because we aren't getting married without him and I fully intend on marrying you, because you made me love you so damn much."

She breathed a sigh of relief when her love managed the smallest of laughs, barely a sound, but still magical nonetheless. 

"Is that your latest condition to marrying me?" 

"It is indeed."

"Then I guess I'll just have to dig deep and find a little faith."

She turned her head, seeking his lips in a soft kiss, relieved when he didn't pull away.

"I promise it'll be OK," she whispered against his lips, hugging him tightly. 

"I'll hold you to that," he pulled away, visibly pulling himself back together, but he kept hold of her hand, squeezing it tightly. 

"Good," she squeezed his hand in return, "because you're mine and that's never going to change. You can't get away from me now."

"I wouldn't want to. At first I didn't think I needed you in my life, but it seems I was wrong. I need you more than I've ever needed anything."

"Even your morning shower?" 

"My shower and my bagel."

"Wow, you must really love me."

He nodded seriously. "I do."

"As I do you." She paused for a moment, unsure if she should push him any more than she already had, but her instincts when it came to him were usually pretty good, so she trusted them now. 

"I don't think you should stay up here tonight, I think you need to be with your family."

John wanted to argue, but he knew she was right, he couldn't keep avoiding them, staying out of the way and leaving them to make plans without him. He knew he'd been more absent than usual lately, especially given how much time he'd been down to be with Selene, and he probably needed to apologise for that. 

He sighed, rolling his shoulders, feeling lighter than he had in a long time. He hadn't realised how much he had been bottling up inside him until he'd snapped, the self imposed loneliness of being away from his family and the woman he loved proving to be his breaking point. He'd felt like he didn't deserve to be there, to be involved in all the hopeful planning of their mission to save their father when he wasn't even sure there was still someone to save.

He hadn't talked to his brothers about it, hadn't been able to stand the thought of breaking their hearts that way. He didn't want them to look at him with anger because he couldn't believe wholeheartedly like they had. So he'd retreated into what he knew best, his craft, his work and his own head. But it seemed that Selene had had more of an influence on him than he had realised and rather than making things easier, separating himself from their support and love had made things so much worse. 

Seeing her standing there, right at the second he needed her the most, when he felt like he would never be able to stop the flood of emotions and thoughts that assaulted him, had been like the answer to his prayers. He hadn't realised how much he wanted her there until that moment. 

She hadn't judged him, she hadn't let him blame himself, she'd simply listened, supporting and loving him as she always did. He'd trusted her with his heart and he'd never regret that. And he'd trust her now. 

"OK, we'll go down tonight, but can we just have an hour or so alone before we do? I don't quite feel ready yet."

She nodded. "Yeah, I think we both need that, we can take all the time we need."


	27. Venom

"Where's Scott gone now?" Virgil asked, realising that his oldest brother had done one of his vanishing acts. They had been becoming more and more frequent over the past few weeks as his stress levels soared. He could usually be found in one of two places, his office where he attempted to bury himself in paperwork, or "observing" Brains and The Mechanic as they worked to build the new T- Drive engine. Scott was driving The Mechanic insane by breathing down his neck every five seconds and making rather rude comments about his trustworthiness. Even Brains, who was the most placid person Selene had ever met, was getting sick of mediating between the two. 

"He was here like ten minutes ago, who let him go?" Kayo groaned. 

"Don't look at me, I was keeping an eye on him last night, I actually sat on him to stop him leaving the couch in the middle of the movie," Selene wasn't proud of the fact that Gordon had walked in on her laying forcefully across his brothers back while she flicked the back of his head and yelled at him to sit still, but she'd do it again if she had to. She was a team player like that. 

"I took him out running last night, I've done my-" Virgil paused as John's holographic form popped up. 

"We have a situation."

"You found Scott? What's he up to now?" 

"What? No," John frowned, confused by the sudden turn in conversation. "I mean I just received a distress call, an arachnologist stationed in the Amazon has been bitten by one of the spiders he was capturing for study and an antivenom breeding program. They are notoriously hard to catch, let alone milk as they are decidedly fast and will bite without any provocation, so supplies are very limited."

"Sounds delightful, how do you even milk a spider?" Selene had to ask. 

"Mild electric shock that not only paralyses them for a brief time but stimulates their venom glands, which is collected when it drips from their fangs," John answered as if it were the most normal thing in the world. 

"So is there any antivenom available for...which spider is it?" Virgil asked. 

"The Creeping Banana Spider, and yes, there is. Only it's a very limited supply. "

Selene made a face, she wasn't scared of spiders but didn't feel the need to get up close and personal with the poisonous ones. Give her a big, fluffy tarantula any day of the week over the smaller, evil little shits. 

"So do we have to collect it, or pick up the scientist?" Virgil asked. 

"A little of both, Dr Furnier managed to get out a call to the hospital where he works in their research lab and they sent some out by drone, but the drone has vanished and they have no way of tracking it. I've tried and it's giving off a weak signal but you're still going to have to go out there, find it and administer it before taking Dr Furnier to the hospital."

"On it," Virgil was on his feet in an instant, heading to his launch tube, but he stopped before he stepped on the foot plate. "Let's take Scott with us, he could do with an outing. Kayo, Selene, want to come with?" 

"Sure, I could do with some action," Kayo was already heading for the hangers. 

"What good am I going to be?" 

"You're great at calming people down, plus Gordon said you helped him with a little healing before, I'm sure you could help me keep Furnier comfortable."

She thought about it for a second then nodded. "Sure, I'll come."

"Be careful," John warned her. 

"You never say that to anyone else," she bitched as she followed after Kayo. 

"You're different," he insisted, ignoring the middle finger she flipped at him. 

"I'll look after her," Virgil promised as he stepped firmly onto the foot plate, the painting behind him starting to tilt. 

***

As soon as they reached the area Scott and Kayo had been sent off on a drone hunt while Virgil and Selene continued on to help the Doctor. 

Selene stayed in Two, making sure the medical bay was fully prepared while Virgil switched the huge craft to auto pilot, leaving it hovering above the treeline, and lowered onto the Doctor's observation platform. 

It didn't take him long to return, carrying Dr Furnier as if he weighed nothing more than a bag of sugar. She moved aside, letting him lay the man down on the bed and handed Virgil the med-scanner. 

"How's it looking?" Furnier asked, a little breathlessly and with a pain filled tinge to his voice. 

"Not too bad," Virgil hedged, his eyes focused on the scanner screen. 

"How do you feel?" Selene asked Furnier, "can you describe it?" 

"The venom is spreading fast, I can't feel my legs, and my head hurts."

Selene leant over to look at Virgil's screen, seeing that his blood pressure was far too high and his temperature was climbing. 

She soaked a cloth in cold water and laid it on his forehead to ease both the headache and mop up the beads of sweat that glistened on his forehead as Virgil wound a bandage tightly around his hand and forearm in the hope of slowing down the spread and splinted the arm to stop it from moving, any movement could make the situation worse. 

Virgil handed her the scanner so she could familiarise herself with the details and turned away to talk to Scott, not wanting the Doctor to hear how bad it was. 

"So, you study spiders, huh?" 

Furnier coughed weakly but nodded. "Always been a…passion of mine."

"I took our younger brothers to the zoo a while ago, I freaked the smallest one out by holding a tarantula. Apparently it wasn't really the fact that I was holding it that was bad, it was the fact that I was talking to it like I would our cat."

Furnier managed a weak chuckle as she helped him to sit up and take a sip of water. 

"They're on their way," Virgil informed them both, "don't worry, they won't let us down."

***  
Selene secured the oxygen mask on Furnier while Virgil rummaged through the meds supply on board, including a box that he'd taken from Furnier's lab. 

She was just checking his vitals again when, out of the corner of her eye she saw Virgil suddenly stiffen, standing as still as a statue. 

Before she could even register what was happening, Furnier sat bolt upright and lunged in Virgil's direction, sweeping up a specimen jar. Two seconds later Virgil was in possession of a freaky looking spider, Furnier had collapsed back on the bed and Selene was wondering if she would ever sleep again without visions of that bastard thing haunting her. 

"Thank you," Virgil breathed, beyond relieved. "You saved me."

Selene checked Furnier's pulse finding it to be far too fast. 

"He's tachycardic," she warned as Virgil gently set the jar aside with the care one would give an unexploded bomb. "We need to work quickly, can we give him something to bring his heart rate down? That will stop the heart pumping so fast and spreading the poison even quicker." 

"I don't know enough about this spider to want to risk introducing anything else into his bloodstream at this point," Virgil admitted, looking sideways at the spider. 

"I swear that thing is looking at me," he shuddered. "It wanted a taste and isn't happy its plan was foiled."

Selene was prevented from answering by the rattling of Furnier's breathing. "He's getting worse," she laid her hands on his forearm and wrist, feeling the pain from the bite and the poison invading his system. "He needs them to hurry or there won't be any point in them coming back."

Virgil nodded, doing another scan of the Furnier's vitals, the Doctor having succumbed to unconsciousness. "I'm going to get them, it'll be quicker for everyone."

Selene stayed with Furnier, pumping out as much healing energy as she could into the Doctor to try to keep him stable, while Virgil returned to the controls of Two, John having located Scott and Kayo and sent Virgil the coordinates. 

Thankfully it wasn't long before Scott and Kayo joined them, along with the precious antivenom. 

They managed to rouse Furnier and Kayo administered the antivenom, helpfully prepared in an epipen style syringe. 

The effect was almost instant, as colour returned to his cheeks, although they kept the bandage in place. 

"You'll need fluids and possibly another dose of antivenom so we're taking you to the hospital to get checked out, along with this little guy-" Virgil paused, his eyes widening as he took in the empty jar that had once held the spider. 

"I must not have put the lid on properly," Furnier groaned. "Nobody move!" 

They all went still, their eyes frantic searching. It was nowhere to be seen. 

"Scott, don't come in!" Virgil yelled through to his brother. 

"What? Why? What's wrong?" 

The sound of his footsteps echoed up the stairs. 

"No!" Virgil dove for the door, trying to slam it shut. "Ow! Shit!" 

Kayo dived down into a crouch and scooped the spider off the back of Virgil's leg and into a box, handing it to Furnier while Selene examined Virgil. The holes were small, but distinctive and definitely there, punchered right through his uniform and into his meaty calf muscle. 

"Kayo! Get Furnier out of here and up to the cockpit, Scott, help me!" 

She was up and wrestling with the clasp of Virgil's baldric, letting it drop to the floor and spinning him around to unzip his suit. 

Virgil protested weakly but was already feeling the effects of the poison currently pumping through his blood stream. His eyes were unfocused as she eased the thick material off his shoulders and down his arms. 

"John won't like you…" he paused to swallow rapidly, his mouth filling with saliva, "stripping me."

"John can deal with it, you need to get you out of this, now." She pushed him back onto the gurney that Furnier had recently vacated and made him sit down while she yanked at his boots. 

One, then the other came off. Scott was there to help her drag the rest of the suit down his legs and off. They tossed it aside, not caring that he was sitting there in nothing but a vest and boxers. 

"This is…embarrassing," Virgil groaned as Scott held his leg up while Selene pressed a gauze over the wound and bandaged it tightly. 

"Let's try to get a splint on him," she instructed as she forced Virgil to lay back, helping him swing his good leg up on the bed. "And you, shushh, stop talking, just try to relax." Selene took his hand in hers, giving it a squeeze. "Deep breaths with me, deep calming breaths, breathe with me." She started a round of inhale, hold 1...2...3...4 and release, 1...2...3...4…. She continued to breathe with him as her eyes cut to Scott who was desperately relaying the information to John, who in turn was trying to locate another supply of antivenom. 

"It seems that the hospital where were taking Furnier will be our best option, but we have to move fast. Kayo, get going, you drive!" 

Two's engines kicked up a gear, going out of idle and into full speed in a matter of seconds although the big craft was the one of the slowest they possessed and just wasn't capable of the kind of speeds they needed at that moment. 

Virgil's body was shaking, his hand trembling in hers as the poison viciously attacked his body, making it impossible to splint his leg without hurting him. Selene contented herself with pushing down on his leg with her free hand, trying to hold it in place, immobilising it as best she could. 

"Why is it happening quicker than with Furnier?" Selene asked out loud, scanning his body with the monitor. His temperature was spiking, his heart racing, none of which made sense at that point. His bulk should have given him more time, more resistance, not less. 

"What's going on?" Scott asked, grabbing the scanner to check the details himself. She didn't know, had no clue, but something didn't feel right. 

She squeezed his leg tighter, opening her senses to allow some healing energy to trickle out just as she had done for Furnier and almost all of the brothers at one time or another. 

Everyone had their own unique energy signature, she could recognise any one of the family without having to look.

John was generally a calm, cool energy but one that could easily spike into an anxious buzzing when he grew uncomfortable or nervous. 

Scott was all high octane, hot energy that was full of passion and adrenaline, he was hardly ever calm, hardly ever relaxed, constantly tense. 

Gordon was all chaotic energy and fun, his aura seemed to ping with little bursts of happiness that made him the best person to cuddle when you'd had a bad day. 

Alan was like a shot of pure confidence, near him you'd feel like you could climb any mountain, conquer any foe. 

Virgil was softness, he was beauty and peace, his aura field stroked against your own like a purring cat. Well, usually it did, but now it was something totally different. Now it felt spikey, like a cactus, and hot, very very hot, like reaching into a flame that would burn you with a simple touch. It felt aggressive, wild, and nothing like their placid Virgil. 

Something was wrong, very wrong. 

"Scott! Somethings happening, I can feel it."

Virgil's body was reacting in a way that it shouldn't, far too much, far too fast. His limbs were a twitching, sweaty mess yet he was shivering like he had hypothermia. His eyes were unfocused, darting here and there and his chest was heaving as he panted for breath. She fumbled for the same oxygen mask she'd used on Furnier but couldn't get it over his head to strap it on. His limbs were rigid, locked tight. 

"What is it? Is he getting worse? I thought you were keeping it at bay?" 

"I trying! But this is different, this doesn't feel like him, this is…I've felt this before I'm sure I have."

"Well what is it? Is it bad? Think, Selene!" 

"It feels natural and…oh, oh shit." 

Virgil lurched up right, his spine contorting painfully. She heard a cracking sound, a popping like a cracked knuckle but a hundred times louder. The twitching kicked up a notch, his muscles vibrating with the strain. She knew this. The last tumbler rolled into place in her mind and unlocked the knowledge she needed. Crap balls! 

"What's wrong with him?" Scott demanded to know, his voice rising. 

"What's going on, why are you two yelling?" John's holographic form popped out of the wall near her head, his eyes growing wide with horror as he took in the scene in front of him. 

"Selene? Scott? What's wrong with him? This isn't right."

Virgil jerked wildly, his body spasming as if he were in the midst of a full blow seizure, the violence of his movements sending him crashing down off the gurney to the floor. 

"Scott get back!" 

"No, that's my brother!" 

"Get the fuck back, he might be dangerous!" 

"He what?" 

Selene didn't take no for an answer. She'd seen this before, knew exactly what was going to happen, she just didn't know why or how. How could she not have known about this? How could she have missed it? 

Virgil flopped over onto his front, managing to get his hands under him enough to raise his torso from the ground. 

"Shit!" Selene shoved Scott aside, pushing him behind her before he could argue and try to move her. She held her ground, standing in front of him, one hand holding him in place, the other is raised in defence, ready to cast should she have to. 

"What's going on?" John called out, worry evident in his voice, scared for both his brothers and Selene. 

Virgil grunted, his muscles trembling from the strain. Scott tried to push past her but she stopped him, blocking him physically with her body, trapping him against the wall. 

"For the love of the gods, listen to me! For once in your life, listen to someone else. This is my area, my knowledge, my experience and you will fucking do as you are told!" 

Scott blinked, shocked at her outburst but wasn't silent for long. 

"Tell me what's happening, now," he was using what the others referred to as his Commander tone, the one that he pulled out when he was issuing orders that he expected to be obeyed. 

Selene looked over her shoulder at Virgil, hearing his harsh panting. His spine bowed, vertebra popping along his back like pistol shots, the sound echoing around the room. 

"He's shifting! Why didn't any of you tell me before? This isn't something you should hide from me!" She looked Scott dead in the eyes, anger and hurt warring with worry. How could they not tell her? She was supposed to be part of the family. She, more than anyone, would have understood. 

Scott, for his part, looked more confused than she felt. 

"What? Hide from you? Shifting? What the hell are you-" his eyes grew wide. "Oh fuck!" 

She spun around, hand raised.

Virgil groaned, the sound long, low and deep, morphing into a growl that rattled the medical equipment on the walls. 

Scott's arms looped around her waist, trying to drag her back behind him but she was having none of it. 

"Just stop! Let me help him!" she struggled out of his hold, ignoring John's urgent demand that she stay put. 

She advanced slowly, not wanting to spook Virgil who was still writhing on the floor, his limbs stiff and awkward. 

"How can we help him? Please, Selene, I don't understand what's going on!" Scott's desperate plea reached her ears as she dropped to her knees. 

"He's stuck, he doesn't know what to do! Back away, please!" She laid a tentative hand on Virgil's sweaty back, flinching with the lash of power that sparked between them. "Fuck."

She tried to calm her mind, tried to breathe for him, projecting calm as she gathered every spare scrap of energy and power she hand inside her. 

"It's OK, Virg, I got you. Just hold on for two more seconds, then let go, OK? You'll be fine, I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you."

She lifted her other hand, feeling the energy crackling between her fingers, she let it build, growing more and more until her hand was vibrating with the force of the power she held back. 

"OK, with me, on three." She looked over her shoulder at Scott. "Whatever you do, don't come closer, don't touch him, no matter what happens. Promise me!" 

"I can't do that!" 

"Fucking promise me! I don't have time to argue!" 

"Alright, alright, I promise! Just help him!" 

She nodded. "OK darling, one...two… THREE!" She touched her hand to his shoulder, completing the circuit, giving him a jolt of energy as one would use a defibrillator to kick start a heart. 

He jerked, his head thrown back by the force and an inhuman scream filled the air. The effect was instant, giving his body the push it needed. 

His limbs stuck out straight from his body, bones cracking as they shrank , twisting into a new and completely inhuman shape. His ears grew longer, pointy tipped. His facial features contorted, stretching, morphing into something different, his nose and mouth merging to form one snout, the only thing remaining the same were his eyes. Eyes that were wide open, pain filled, staring up at her, begging without words for help. 

The vest top and shorts he still wore ripped at the seams, falling from his body in a flurry of fabric. 

His smooth skin rippled, pricking and pulsing as fur sprung from his pores, replacing the dark sprinkling of hair he usually had with a thick, furry pelt. 

She heard Scott and John's shocked inhalations but ignored them, she couldn't lose focus now. She continued to pump energy and healing calm into him as he lay panting on the floor, his ribs heaving with the strain. 

"It's OK, sweetheart, you're OK, you're safe, we're here." She risked moving her hand, fingers gently petting his soft fur. 

Bad move! The wolf twisted, its fangs snapping at her hand. She jumped back out of the way, but not quick enough. 

Moving faster than she could track he was up, his shaky limbs barely holding his weight, but with enough energy to lunge at her. The force of his front paws hitting her chest sent her flying backwards, landing flat out on her back. 

"Selene!" John's horrified yell filled the small room. 

Scott dived forward but she held up a hand to halt him in his tracks.

"No! Stop!" 

Scott paused, desperate to help but remembering his promise. 

"Scott, help her!" 

"No! Trust me! He's still in there, he just has to remember!" 

She felt Virgil's hot breath huffing against her cheek, felt the sting of his teeth as they grazed her flesh, but she stayed still, unthreatening. 

"Virgil, Virgy, listen to me, listen to my voice, you know me, you know yourself, just stop and think."

Those too human eyes set in a face where they didn't belong, blinked rapidly at her. His nose tucked in against her neck, his rapid inhalations showing her that his wolf instincts were waring with his human ones. How the hell had this happened to him? This was obviously the first Scott and John had known about it, and by the looks of it the first time for Virgil too. Which begged the question of why now? 

She held still, waiting, holding her breath…please let her instincts be correct. 

"Ooof!" the breath was forced out of her lungs as the big wolf collapsed down on top of her. His whine broke her and she wrapped her arms around his large frame, hugging him tight. 

"It's OK lovely, it's OK, you're safe." She lifted a hand and beckoned to Scott, he'd be the one that Virgil would really need. 

Scott's legs gave way, his back sliding down the wall he was resting against, shock and horror finally getting the better of him. She gave him a moment, petting the big wolf head as it nuzzled her shoulder. 

She heard Scott take a deep breath, physically and mentally pulling himself together. It took him a few minutes until he felt ready to crawl across to join them.

The wolf lifted his head, nose twitching as he sniffed the air. Scott held out a shaking hand, slowly as one would approach a frightened dog and tentatively stroked down the length of his brothers head. Virgil leaned into the stroke, his eyes closing. 

"What the fuck just happened?" John's voice was tense, demanding. "If you ever do that again, ever put yourself in danger like that I will divorce you."

"That's my threat, not yours, you can't use that," she twisted round to locate his hologram. 

"I'll use anything I want," his epic frown was firmly fixed in place. "I'm coming down, I'll deal with you when I get there."

"You'll deal with me? Like I'm a naughty child?" Oh no he did not just say that. 

"If I have to!" 

"I just saved one of your brothers from being ripped to shreds and the other from possibly turning himself inside out from an unfulfilled turn and you're bitching at me?" 

"Guys, can we not do this now? I need to know what to do here. Kayo just messaged to say we're almost at the hospital, luckily the sound proofing in this craft is good. What do I tell her?" 

"Well we can't bring a wolf into a hospital. He'll be OK now, I think I know what's happening, just get Furnier unloaded and get us back to the island as quickly as possible, I'll stay with him."

"Will you be OK?" Scott's worried frown was back. 

"I'll be fine, it's not like I'm going anywhere with this lump on me." She was starting to relax, knowing that now Virgil had calmed he would be OK. 

Her brain had been ticking over, trying to fathom what had happened in the short space of time between the spider bite and now and she thought she had the answer. 

"I'll meet you back at base, be careful," John's hologram blinked out and she breathed a sigh of relief. 

"Well, he's pissed," she kissed Virgil's nose. The wolf whined, lowering his head. "Don't you worry, it's just because he's worried, it's not your fault, you had no control over this."

"Will you be OK with him? And will he be OK?" Scott's tone demanded honesty as he hauled himself to his feet. 

"Yes to both, go deal with Kayo and get us home ASAP."

He nodded, heading to the door, but he paused instead of going through it. "Do you really think you know what happened here? I mean, it's not normal for your brother to turn into a wolf, is it?" 

She shrugged as best she could with the heavy lump of wolf spread out on top of her. "I don't know for definite, I'm going to need to do some serious research and look deep into your family history, but yes, I think I know what happened."

"Were you lying to John?" 

"What? No! I'd never lie to him, why would you even ask me that?" 

"Because these are my brothers, it's my job to protect them and watch out for them, and this happened. I need to know that he'll actually be OK, that you weren't just saying it to stop us worrying, I need the truth, Selene."

She sighed and poked at the wolf.

"Move, bub," she struggled to sit up and with a great deal of effort, and a little help from Scott who grasped her under the arms and hauled her out from under his brother, she was free. 

She got to her feet and, ignoring his protests, pulled Scott into a hug. 

"I promise you, on everything I hold dear, that I would never lie to any of you and that I'm not lying now. He'll be OK, the change will have neutralised the poison from the spider bite, I think that's what happened, his body acted in self defence and that was the quickest way for his healing to kick in."

"So I don't have to worry about this right now?" His blue eyes, almost the exact shade of her own, begged her to tell him that everything would work out. 

"Babe, you won't have to worry about him much at all, if what I think is correct, that he's a werewolf, or a shifter as we call them, then they are pretty hardy. It means that somewhere in your family is a shifter gene, and I intend to find out where."

Scott's eyes searched her face for any trace of dishonesty but she didn't take it personally, he'd been through a lot in a short space of time. It was one thing to accept that your future sister-in-law was a witch, but another to find out that your brother was capable of changing his entire body into that of an animal. It would take some getting used to, for all of them. 

It took him a moment before he nodded and hugged her back, a bone crushing hug that said more than words ever could. 

She kissed his cheek and unwound her arms, giving him a little shove towards the door. "Go deal, give us a little time, we'll be fine."

Selene sat back down on the floor. Virgil lifted his head in greeting, his big brown eyes sorrowful. She patted her lap and he crawled over, still rather uncoordinated, and flopped his head down for her to stroke. 

"It'll be OK," she fondled his ears, bending to kiss the top of his head. "I promise. Once you get used to this you'll love it. When we get home I'll explain all I can and we'll see what we can do about helping you. But for now, you just need to relax as much as you can, your body is still in defensive mode and you won't turn back until you are calm enough and can visualise it. So for now just try to rest, take a nap, I'm not going anywhere."

***  
Scott returned to find Selene on the floor with the wolf curled up beside her, his head in her lap, fast asleep. 

"We're almost home, is he OK?" 

"Yeah," she stroked the big head of the wolf, "he's just exhausted, shifting takes a lot out of you at the best of times and this wasn't one of them. It's painful, it's intense and if you don't expect it I'd bet it's damned scary too, he'll be OK but it'll take some time."

"It looked painful," Scott sat down beside them and ran his hand gently down the length of his brothers spine, smiling just a little when the muscles twitched beneath his hand and the wolf huffed in his sleep, rolling onto his side to present his belly. "He's no stranger to pain, of all of us he's the one that gets hurt the most, but this was different, it looked like torture."

Selene made a sympathetic face. "It kinda was, his bones have to stretch and reform, sometimes even break, his ligaments, tendons and muscles stretch and alter, his internal organs will rearrange and adapt. Not to mention all his senses will be heightened and that's disturbing in itself. He's been through it."

Scott winced at her very vivid and honest description. They sat in silence after that until Kayo expertly piloted Two into its hanger and came to fetch them. 

The look on her face when she rounded the corner and saw the scene before her was one neither Scott or Selene would ever forget. 

"I know you told me what happened, but I don't think I really believed it until now."

"I know, it takes some getting your head around."

"Selene! Scott!" 

John's running footsteps clattered up the stairs to the medical bay. He burst through the door and was by her side in an instant, dragging her to her feet and into his arms. 

"Fuck, don't scare me like that again." 

Selene squirmed, trying to get him to relax his grip a little, just enough for her to get her arms around him in return. 

"I'm sorry, but I didn't have much of a choice." 

"Yes, you did, you had the choice not to throw yourself at a wolf!"

"No," she insisted gently, knowing how worried he'd been, "I didn't, I took a risk to help protect both your brothers, that's not just a wolf, that's our Virgil, that's him in there and I had complete faith that he wouldn't hurt me on purpose. I don't know if he would have managed to shift without help and I was the only one that could do it."

She felt his arms tighten around her once more before he relaxed, letting out a hard breath. 

"We're all OK, we're safe," she ran her fingers soothingly up his back, her fingers sliding into the hair at the nape of his neck, holding his head in place as she gave him a soft kiss.

"It'll be OK. I promise." 

He nodded and stepped back, letting her go, his eyes going to Virgil, who had woken abruptly when his pillow had been yanked out from under him. He got to his feet, stretching low and padded over to his younger brother, nudging his hand with his nose. 

John startled, his hand jerking away, just for a second but it was enough to make Virgil whimper. John caught himself and dropped his hand firmly onto his brothers head, curling his fingers into the thick fur there, receiving a lick to the wrist in return. 

He'd never have believed it if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes. He couldn't begin to describe the terror he'd felt for the past hour, first from hearing that his brother had been bitten, then the subsequent horror of his shift and what had come after. Not for the first time he cursed the fact that he wasn't one of the ones actively out there on the front lines like his brothers. It meant that when the shit hit the fan he was usually forced to watch and pray. 

He'd wanted to be there, wanted to help and to protect his family in any way he could, but instead he'd had to sit and wait, unable to join them while they were flying. Their priority had been to take Furnier to hospital and get Virgil back to base, waiting for him to dock his elevator nearby and join them would have been time they couldn't afford to waste. 

He'd been pacing the hanger for the last twenty minutes, unable to sit still until he'd seen for himself that everyone he cared about was safe. 

Selene squatted down, getting to Virgil's level. "Do you feel up to going for a walk and getting out of here? The others are waiting for us, but they'll understand if you want to be alone."

"Can he understand you as if he were human?" Kayo asked. 

"He is human," Selene wrapped her arms around the wolf's neck, hugging him tight. "His body has changed, not his mind. He can understand everything, can't you, love?" 

Virgil huffed and tossed his head in agreement. 

"So you coming?" Another nod. "Good." 

She got back to her feet and reached a hand out to John, who took it gratefully. They walked as one group, slowly, giving Virgil time to get used to moving in his temporary form. 

Gordon, Alan, Grandma and Brains were waiting in the lounge. Both boys were instantly on their feet, crowding around Virgil, hands stroking every part they could reach. Their instant acceptance a testament to the unconditional love the family had for each other. 

"Oh my god, is that really him?" 

"That's so cool, I've always wanted a dog!" 

Virgil growled, just a little and Alan leapt back. 

"Is he going to eat me?" 

Selene snorted. "Dude, it's your brother, of course he's not going to eat you, but you just said he was a dog, of course he's arguing."

"Can he understand us then?" Gordon wanted to know, looking up from his spot on the floor, his fingers vigorously rubbing his brother's belly. 

"Of course he can, he's still him, he's still got a human brain, just with more canine instincts while he's in that body. He's not different."

Virgil's tongue lolled out of his mouth as he gave her an upside down wolfy grin. He waved his legs in pleasure at the attention he was getting and everyone laughed, his antics diffusing the tension a little, everyone that is, except Grandma. 

Selene let go of John's hand and made her way over to the elder Tracy. 

"You OK, Grandma?" 

The older lady's eyes were shiny with tears, and a knowledge that made Selene pause. 

"You knew about this, didn't you?" 

She hadn't meant to say it so loud, or to sound accusatory in any way, but John was instantly beside them. 

"Grandma?" his tone was gentle but authoritative, the same voice he used when dealing with a distress call. "Is there anything you can tell us about this?" 

Scott joined them, leaving the younger boys with Virgil. 

"What's going on?" his radar for drama was right on point. He was as bad as John for wanting all the information about a situation, they both hated being out of the loop. 

Grandma stood still, her arms wrapped around her torso as if she were holding herself together. 

"I do know something."

"What? Grandma, you need to tell us, right now," Scott insisted, his tone, while still respectful, allowed for no arguments. 

Grandma pushed past them, sitting down heavily on one of the couches. Selene moved to sit next to her bur Scott got there first, taking her hand in his. 

"Whatever it is, you can tell us."

Virgil rolled over with a heavy thud and got to his feet, shaking himself out and padding over. Laying his head on her knee he looked up at her with his big eyes, so expressive and human, the look at odds with the canine face they rested in, yet eerily beautiful. 

Grandma reached out a shaking hand and gently stroked her finger down one ear, making him shake his head, brushing off the tickling sensation. 

Selene moved closer, not wanting to step out of line, but feeling the older lady needed a push. 

"Grandma, can I ask you something, please?" 

Grandma looked at her, then nodded. 

"It's in the family, isn't it?" 

She nodded again. 

"But it's not on your side, or you would have told them, wouldn't you?" 

Again, that nod. 

John's arm slid around her waist, giving her a squeeze, either for comfort, acknowledgement or as a warning to stop, she didn't know, so she went with her instincts. 

"You've seen this before?" 

This time Grandma didn't nod, she began talking, and once the floodgates opened, there was no stopping her. 

"Jeff introduced me to this beautiful young lady, your mother," she traced the lines of Virgil's muzzle, letting him lick her hand. "She was wonderful, the most polite, kind, sweet and loving girl, everything a mother could ever want for her son. But there was something about her I just couldn't put my finger on, something different, otherworldly almost. She was special, but I didn't know how much until it was too late."

She paused, as if gathering her thoughts and a tighter rein on her emotions. 

"He told me after she was gone that he didn't know how he was going to cope, I thought he meant the fact that he was now the sole parent to you five beautiful boys, but he didn't, he meant this. He didn't know any details, just that it was in her family, that some inherited the gene and some didn't, she hadn't developed the ability to change but she still had enhanced senses and reactions, her intuition was razor sharp, just like with all of you. Jeff hoped that it had missed you all as it had her, but he had no way of knowing for sure. When none of you seemed to show any signs of being anything different he let it go. And then of course, things just started rolling and after he was gone I never thought much more about it."

"Selene, can you shed any light on this?" Scott asked. "You said you thought you knew why this happened."

Selene sat back, resting against John's arm where it remained wrapped around her. 

"It's just a theory," she warned. 

"Your theories usually prove to be correct when it comes to the metaphysical side of things," Gordon pointed out. "You were right with John and with me."

"My theory is that this is a dormant gene, one that needs a time of extreme danger or stress to trigger it."

"Then why has this never happened before?" Alan asked. 

Selene shrugged. "My only guess is that his inner beast just never felt truly threatened before. You all live pretty high octane lives, so what would count as dangerous or stressful for the general population is just a Tuesday for you. But the introduction of the venom to his bloodstream was a very real threat, one that his body couldn't ignore. It went into fight mode and reacted the only way it knew how, to shift."

"B-But how does sh-shifting help?" Brains asked, having stayed quiet and the entire time, his focus solely on Virgil, but now his need to understand had pushed him to join the conversation. 

"Shifters, or weres have enhanced healing abilities, they can get hurt, yes, but it's a lot harder to do permanent damage as they can heal at more than three times the speed of a human and are almost five times as hardy. The venom would have been neutralised almost instantly once his alternative form was released, allowing his healing to kick in."

"So this saved him?" Scott needed to know. 

"Without a shadow of a doubt."

"What about the rest of us?" Alan wanted to know. "Do we all get to do this?" 

Selene made a face. "I honestly don't know, if the gene was dormant in your mother and your father is fully human that dilutes things and changes them a lot, so I really wouldn't like to say one way or another. I mean, I've got friends we could talk to about it and, with permission of course, I'd like to look into your family history and see what I can discover."

They all nodded as one. 

A sudden, violent hiss made them all jump. Armstrong was perched on the top of Virgil's piano, his back arched in full Halloween cat mode. 

"Armie, stop that, it's just daddy, you be nice," Selene warned, patting Virgil when he whined, upset. "Ignore him, he'll get over it. You just smell and look weird, he's confused, you smell like you, but different. Once you change back he'll be fine."

"I'll take him," Gordon volunteered, scooping up the still yowling cat and carrying him out of the room. 

Virgil flopped down on the floor, yawning, his mouth opening so wide he looked like a snake unhinging its jaw. He was exhausted, which wasn't surprising,emotionally rung out, confused and aching.

"Want me to help you change back?" Selene reached out a hand to the wolf, who donked it with his head. 

She nodded, getting up. 

"We'll be back later."

***

Selene had Virgil stretched out on his bedroom floor, where she had been brushing his fur for the past twenty minutes, until his eyes had closed in blissful relaxation and his body had melted into a contented puddle, all trace of tension gone. 

"I need you to see yourself in your mind's eye, how you are in human form. Recall how it feels, to walk, to run, to lift, to sit, to eat, everything you can. I need you to really focus on it, to see the wolf retreating and your human self coming forward. You can do this. I know you can. Just focus, relax and let go."

The wolf strained, she could feel it under her hand, feel his muscles tensing. He let out a frustrated huff and sagged. 

"No, don't give up, you can do this. You're the artist, use your imagination, feel it, see it. Think of it this way, if you don't turn back you aren't ever going to play your piano again or pick up a paintbrush, Gordon will take your piano and probably play it with his feet!"

Virgil growled low in his throat as he tried again, hunkering down, his eyes tightly closed. 

It was subtle at first, just a little tingle, but then it swept in full force. 

"Yes, that's it babe, you got it. You can do it, push through."

His limbs began to tremble, stretching, morphing, slowly at first but there. He whined, his head bowed. 

"I know, darling, I know it hurts, but you have to keep going, just a little more. It'll get better, it'll get easier, just don't stop."

He clenched his teeth, baring them in a snarl. The breath sawed in and out of his lungs as he panted for breath. His limbs elongated, stretching out to transform from paws to human arms and legs. 

The fur that covered his body began to recede, sucked back into his body, revealing smooth skin. 

She couldn't see his face, but knew that it too was shrinking, snout and fangs returning to a nose, mouth and blunt human teeth. 

He collapsed down on the floor, fully human and she tossed a blanket over him to cover his naked body, lying down beside him and pulling him into her arms as he began to shiver, the heat of the transformation gone leaving him chilled. 

"Oh, you were so great, you did it sweetheart, you did it." She kissed the top of his head as she hugged him tighter. 

He didn't speak for a long time and when he did his voice was husky, raw. 

"I remember it all."

She stroked the hair back from his face, giving him as much comfort as she could. 

"Yeah, I thought you would. Do you want to talk about it?" 

"Not really, but I probably need to."

"I'm always here if you do."

"I know, thanks."

"Do you want to have a shower while I get you some food? You need to eat."

He nodded and she got up, leaving him to his privacy. 

It took him a few minutes to gather enough strength to get his shaking limbs to respond to his commands to move, and another five before he'd managed to stagger to his feet and make his unsteady way to his bathroom. 

The water was blissfully hot and hard against his sore muscles, the massage feature as always a godsend. His skin felt too tight for his bones, which ached like his arm had after he'd broken it, which made sense. He'd felt bones snap, each one sending fresh waves of agony through his body, making him pray for an end, pray for anything to ease it, to make it stop, even death. 

He closed his eyes, leaning his forehead against the shower wall, unwilling to admit, even to himself, that he has wished for death, but in that moment he'd just wanted peace. Just wanted the pain to go away. 

It had felt like a giant pressure inside his body, building up and up, unable to find release, not until Selene had intervened. It had felt like a lightning bolt striking his body the second her hand had made contact, but it had been enough to break through whatever barrier had been holding him back. 

Feeling his body change had been the scariest experience of his life. He didn't do well with lack of control, especially when it came to his physical self, he knew his body inside out and could always rely on it to get the job done, but this time it had failed him. 

He'd been uncoordinated, it had felt so different, hard to focus, hard to move, hard to really think. His senses were so heightened they were overwhelming. 

He knew he'd practically attacked Selene and felt nothing but remorse, but she hadn't blamed him, she'd stayed calm, reached out to him and been a rock when he'd needed it. He knew he'd scared his brothers, not the younger two, but Scott and John, and he wished he could take that back. 

But there was nothing he could do about it, he had no control over it, he'd been invaded by something he didn't know or understand. And he hated it. 

What if it happened again? What if he got stuck and couldn't go forward or back? He'd have to ask Selene, maybe get her to help him practice or something, because he did not want to be unprepared if it happened again. 

A knock on the door made him jump. 

"You OK in there, love? Need me to get one of the boys?" 

"No, I'm… I'm good, I'll be out in a minute."

He shut off the water and dragged his aching body out. Not bothering to towel himself dry he simply pulled on a towelling robe and tied it tightly closed. 

He opened the door to find Selene standing there with the biggest sandwich he'd ever seen, at least four types of meat and three varieties of cheese visible. She'd also brought along an entire family bag of chips and a massive milkshake. 

"You need calories, eat up."

He hadn't felt hungry but the second the smell wafted under his nose he was ravenous. He grabbed the plate, just about managing not to choke as he practically inhaled the sandwich, each bite followed by a handful of chips and washed down by a big mouthful of milkshake. 

He collapsed back against his pillows when he'd finished, physically exhausted, but his hunger sated. His limbs felt heavy, like dead weights and he just wanted to sleep. 

Selene didn't bother asking his permission, she just lifted his legs onto the bed and pulled back his covers, tucking him in like he was a child. He wanted to protest, insist that he was a grown man and didn't need putting to bed, but for once he didn't. It felt nice to have someone care for him for once, for him to not be the one looking after everyone else, so he simply smiled, accepted her kiss on his forehead and got comfortable. 

"Thank you."

She squeezed his hand. "There's never a need for thanks, not with me."

She crossed to the door, her hand on the light switch, but paused without flicking it. 

"I'm here, no matter the time, you need me, you call and I'll be there. Tonight, tomorrow, a month or a year from now, I'll be here. Try to sleep, but if you can't, or you have too much in your head, promise you'll call me? You won't just suffer alone?" 

He nodded.

"Promise me."

"I promise. But, before you go, I have to ask, will you help me get to grips with this? It's a lot to take in alone."

"Of course I will, that was never a question you needed to ask."

She blew him a kiss and switched off the light, closing the door gently behind her. 

Virgil lay in the dark, his head a jumbled mess of thoughts and emotions tumbling through his brain, unable to stop thinking. Twice he had to stop himself reaching for his comm to call her, or Scott, or Grandma, but he knew it wouldn't do him much good. He needed time to process. 

Eventually exhaustion overwhelmed him and he slipped into the blissful oblivion of unconsciousness. He'd deal with it all tomorrow.


	28. Ball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written as part of the FabFiveFeb writing prompt challenge by the awesome Gumnut-Logic.

Selene yelped and ducked as the tennis ball flew past her head as she entered the kitchen. 

"What was that?" 

"Ball," John answered, his focus on his tablet. 

"Why did a ball just launch itself at my face?" 

"Sorry, Selly! Wasn't intentional."

"I thought I was safe in the kitchen," she commented to no one in particular as she carefully took a seat beside her spaceman and stole a sip of his coffee. 

"It's never safe in this kitchen," Virgil pointed out helpfully as he bit into a slice of toast. 

Alan tossed the ball again and Gordon caught it neatly, throwing it back. This went on for another few minutes, the ball sailing over the table at which they all sat, Selene flinching each time it came a little too close to her face. She watched them as she drank her coffee, thoughtfully provided by Virgil, trying to figure out why this particular activity was taking place at half past eight in the morning, it was way too early for that shit. Nope, she had nothing! 

"What are they doing?" she asked John, curiosity getting the better of her. 

"We're throwing a ball," Alan answered before John could. 

Well yeah, that explained it. She rolled her eyes at their lack of information. 

"How long for and why?" 

"Well, Alan found the ball under a sun lounger and he threw it at my head," Gordon took up the narrative. 

"Of course he did. So what, this is some weird retaliation on your part?" 

"No, me catching it and aiming for his crotch was."

"But I dodged and caught it."

"And you decided to move to the kitchen, when?" 

"Alan threw it back, aiming for my chest but I caught it and aimed for his foot, but he kicked it up and caught it again. Then we kinda just aimed at various body parts for a while before we got a bit tired and just started throwing it normally."

"And you were still outside at this point?" Selene felt a headache coming on and just about managed to dodge backwards as the ball skimmed the tip of her nose. 

"Yep!" 

"Again, why are you in here?" She threw her hands up in frustration, could none of them ever answer a simple question? 

"Well neither of us wanted to call time and be the first to give in," Gordon shrugged as if it were obvious, which, given how competitive all the boys were, should have been. 

"So you just kept going?" 

"Yep, it's been two hours now," Alan looked pleased as fuck with that statement. 

"And you're in here why?" 

"Because we got hungry," Alan tossed the ball to Gordon and quick as a flash, grabbed a slice of toast off Scott's plate and took a large bite, dropping it back down as Gordon caught the ball and threw it back. 

"You aren't even stopping to eat?" 

"No, that would be giving up, and Tracy's aren't quitters," Gordon bit off half a banana in one mouthful, his cheeks bulging like a hamster's. 

"You're so weird, all of you!" 

"What did we do?" John asked, having the nerve to look offended. 

"They're your brothers!" 

"Not like I made them this way," 

She couldn't even drag up the energy to argue his logic, really, what was the point? 

"I'm going to get some work done, someone call me when they're done."

"Why is it bothering you so much?" Virgil asked innocently enough, but she'd learnt never to trust them fully. 

"I…" damn this was going to be embarrassing, "I'm just not good with balls, or anything being thrown really."

"Why? What's wrong with us throwing things, don't you trust us?" Alan looked hurt. 

"It's not that I don't trust you, though I probably shouldn't," she ignored his outraged huff. "I just have an issue with it, that's all."

"An issue with us throwing a ball?" Gordon didn't look impressed. 

"Yes! Balls hate me, everything that can be thrown hates me. They literally target my head. I've been hit by basketballs, netball, tennis balls, a hockey puck, a football, a ping pong ball and a shuttlecock. Any time people are throwing things it hits me. Every damn time, so pardon me if I don't want a concussion on a Saturday morning."

Gordon sniggered and she glared at him. 

"Is something funny?" 

"No, well…" he paused to catch the ball and lob it back at his brother. 

"Spit it out. I know you have something to say, you always do."

"I'm offended by that."

"You can't be offended by the truth," John added helpfully. 

"I said spit it out!" 

"I was only going to make a comment about how lucky my brother is."

"What? I am? Why?" 

"Because balls are attracted to her head." 

John snorted in amusement, but shut up as she glared at him. 

Alan tried to hold it in but failed, bursting into sudden laughter, losing control as he threw the ball and it veered towards Virgil. 

"Catch it!" Gordon yelled and Virgil rose to the challenge, catching the ball easily and tossing it back to Gordon. 

"You're in the game now, you can't leave, you're part of this," Alan declared.

"I'm what?" 

Gordon tossed the ball to Alan who caught it and threw it to Virgil. 

"You're part of the game, we decided outside that we're going for the world record, longest game of catch, they have the largest but not longest," Alan announced, proud of his idea. 

"I'm out!" Selene tried to get up but the ball whizzed too close and she shrieked, protecting her head. 

"It was nowhere near you," Gordon insisted. 

"Yeah, we wouldn't hit you with a ball, you can trust us."

"Not after that comment I won't."

She waited until the ball went winging its way back to Alan and ducked out of the way, crossing the kitchen bent double to avoid the projectile. 

"You're all crazy, I'm going to work outside in the garden where I can't be targeted!" She took off through the wide open doors to safety. 

"One of these days she's going to curse you, and I'll laugh," John grinned swiping at something on his tablet. 

***

"It's been four hours, surely it's safe by now?" Selene asked Armstrong, who declined to answer, not even bothering to open his eyes. 

"You're not helpful you know," she stroked his soft fur, warmed by the sun. "You stay out here and keep baking, you're nearly ready."

She got to her feet, taking the natal charts she had been plotting with her to get John to help with. She laughed evilly to herself, help with, who was she kidding? She was going to make him do all of it.   
She peeked around the kitchen door, wary of any flying objects but found it empty apart from Grandma. 

"Is it safe?" 

"Yes, dear, I made them get out of my kitchen when they almost knocked over the mixer." 

"Wise decision," Selene glanced into said mixing bowl, seeing a number of eggs shells floating in what could potentially be cake batter but just as easily be wallpaper paste. She made a mental note to avoid whatever it was if it made it to the table. 

She gave Grandma a kiss on the cheek as she left, heading upstairs to the living room. There was no way they were up here…

"Aghhhh!" she screamed in terror as the ball hurtled towards her like it was shot from a cannon.

"Catch it, Sel!" 

She made a grab at it, fumbling awkwardly but managed to keep hold of it. Instinctively she threw it back in the direction it had come, then stopped dead. 

"Shit!" 

"You're in the game now," Scott told her, the look of resignation on his face telling her he'd been caught too and been drafted. 

"How did you get involved?" 

Scott shrugged, not really knowing himself. 

"I needed to pee and Scott stepped in, but then he didn't want to quit either, so he stayed," Alan explained cheerfully. 

"Oh, you didn't…"she shook her head in disappointment." I thought you were the sensible one?"

"Sorry."

"How the hell did you guys even get up here with that thing?" 

"Carefully," Virgil answered from his spot on the couch, catching the ball Scott threw his way and tossing it to Gordon. 

"We went up a step at a time and threw it back and forth, but the rules are that you can't throw it back to the person who threw it last, not unless you're just joining, so we had to run around each other to get up them." 

"There's rules now?" 

"Of course there are, this isn't a game you know," Alan informed her haughtily as he caught the ball from Gordon and threw it back to Scott. 

"How silly of me to think you were just playing catch."

Scott threw the ball her way and she lunged to catch it, almost dropping it. 

"I'm so shit at this," she threw it to Virgil who caught it one handed, just to show off and threw it to Gordon. 

"Can't I abdicate or something and let John have my place?" 

"No, because I'm not stupid enough to get involved," her annoying other half piped up from his place of safety behind Jeff's desk where he had been quietly working. 

"You would if you loved me," she squatted in perpetration as Scott gently threw the ball underhand to her, giving her a sporting chance. 

"This is why you're my favourite," she told Scott as the ball dropped neatly into her cupped hands. 

"I thought I was your favourite!" Alan whined as she lobbed the ball at Virgil who was enjoying this far too much. 

"You were until you threw a ball at my head."

"Unfair."

"Technically I'm her favourite," John commented a little smugly. 

"She doesn't moan when your balls go near-" 

"Shut up!" Selene threw a cushion at Alan, who caught it and frisbeed it at Gordon. 

"New projectile in play! Good idea, Sel, this'll shake things up a bit." 

"Oh my fucking gods! What's wrong with you lot?" 

"They're bored," Scott shrugged as he threw the ball to her then caught the cushion from Gordon. 

"No shit." Selene caught the cushion he tossed her way, which was much easier than the ball, and whipped it to Virgil, who grabbed the corner and sent it hurtling at Gordon with barely a pause. 

***

"How much longer are we going to be doing this?" Selene complained as she caught the cushion and threw it to Virgil then caught the ball that came next, grabbing it with both hands against her chest before taking aim to continue the round. "How long have I been here?" 

"Two hours and nine minutes," John helpfully informed her. 

"It feels like forever! You guys have to be near a record by now."

"We're not quitting, we'll keep going until the ball touches the floor," Alan insisted. 

"This is your fault, blondie!" 

Alan bowed regally then straightened and deftly caught the ball and tossed it to Scott in one easy motion. 

"Show off," she once again fumbled the thing. "I hate this."

"Yet you keep playing," John pointed out. 

"If you ever want your balls to get any attention again I'd shut up, dude," she warned him, giving him a squinty eyed death glare. 

He snorted, unconcerned. "You'll crack before I do." 

"Like hell I will!" 

"I can spend a month in space, you'll be grabbing my butt within a week."

"That's the last time I let you near my chest balls for a very long time!" she caught the ball and threw it at his head. 

John automatically caught it before it hit him in the face and then realised what he'd done. 

"Fuck!" 

Alan cracked up laughing, just managing to catch the cushion that launched at him.

"You're up, bro!" Scott grinned gleefully as John hauled himself up and threw the ball at Virgil who caught it and tossed it to Gordon. 

Scott passed the cushion to Selene, who caught it and passed it on. 

"I knew you couldn't resist us!" Alan crowed joyfully as John moved to stand in the growing circle. 

"This is ridiculous," he caught the cushion that sailed over from Virgil's direction. "This isn't even a real game." He threw the pillow at Gordon who got fancy and caught it with his eyes closed. 

***

"This ball has been thrown continuously for thirteen hours," Alan told Kayo proudly as she appeared in the room. 

"Thirteen hours? Is that what you've done all day? All of you?" 

"For various lengths of time, yes. Some of us were unfairly attacked," John looked pointedly at Selene who stuck her tongue out in retaliation. 

"Why is there a couch cushion involved?" 

"Selene threw it at Alan's head," Scott informed her.   
"And she threw the ball at John because he thinks that she wants his butt more than he wants hers," Alan caught the cushion and threw it to Scott then caught the ball as it flew his way. 

"Here, catch, you can play too!" he threw the ball to Kayo. 

"No thanks," she ducked and they all watched in horror as the ball sailed over her head…

"G-Grandma says that dinner is read- WOAHH!" Brains' eyes grew wide behind his glasses as the ball hurtled towards him. He panicked, stepping back out of the way, his hands coming up to protect himself, face screwed up in terror as the ball neared. 

"Catch it, Brains!" 

"I...ca-can't!" Brains shrieked and they all held their breath… 

A mechanical beep sounded and suddenly the ball was plucked out of midair. 

Brains huffed out a sigh of relief, lowering his arms to smile at his saviour. 

"Th-thanks M-MAX."

"MAX," Alan called, waving his arms to get the robots attention. "Throw it back!" He held out his hands, ready to receive the ball. 

MAX chirped happily and wound his arm up.   
Alan hunkered down, flexing his fingers. 

Ting! 

MAX swung his arm back and let go, the ball sailing behind him as he followed their instructions to the letter, throwing it backwards. 

"Are you guys coming to dinner? Look, I made a lovely-" 

They all gasped in horror as the ball landed in Grandma's cake with a wet splat. 

Alan dropped to his knees in disbelief, his head cradled in his hands. 

"Nooooooo!"

Gordon wailed in sorrow as if he'd ripped his favourite shirt. 

Scott sagged in relief and flopped down on the couch. 

Virgil just stared, feeling the same sense of loss the younger two did, since he'd been in there the longest. 

"Thank God for that," John sighed, immediately leaving the circle to go to his desk. 

"WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU BOYS ABOUT PLAYING BALL IN THE HOUSE?" 

Selene looked over at the ball perched on top of the mound of cake, frosting and fruit. 

"Huh…"

"What?" Kayo asked from the safety of Virgil's piano stool where she had retreated. 

"Well, technically the ball didn't hit the floor…"

Grandma yelped as both Alan and Gordon launched at her, grabbing the plate of cakey mess and raced down the stairs. 

"We can wash it off in the pool!" 

"I'm out!" Scott escaped to his room. 

"I need food," Virgil vanished after him. 

"What just happened?" Brains asked in bemusement as Grandma trailed after the younger two, yelling that if they took that cake into the pool she would make them eat it. 

John slipped his arms around Selene's waist, resting his chin on her shoulder. 

"That was sneaky," he kissed the side of her neck in just the right spot, knowing it would make her melt.   
As predicted she shivered in response, leaning back against his chest. 

"Want to escape while we can?" he nuzzled his nose into the dip beneath her ear. 

She grinned, tipping her head back to look at him. 

"Is that a bat in your pocket or are you just pleased to see me?" 

"Want to find out?" 

Selene turned in his arms, ignoring the gagging noises coming from Kayo, and wrapped her arms around his neck, standing on tiptoes to steal a kiss. 

"You know what?" she mumbled against his lips. 

"What?" he whispered back. 

"You can go play with your bat and balls on your own, because Tracy's don't quit and you said I'd crack first."

She released her arms from around his neck and sailed out of the room to the sound of Kayo's hysterical laughter.


	29. Iridescent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second chapter to have come from Gumnut-Logic's FabFiveFeb prompts.

Selene's eyes cut to the side away from the book that she promised John she'd read but was continuing to boggle her brain.

He was there again, hanging around near the bedroom door, haunting the hallway, stalking the sleeping quarters of the house. And it was getting annoying, she'd have to do something about it. It was hard enough to concentrate on "Unlocking the Universe" without the constant distractions of the sighing, whining, moaning apparition outside. 

The figure moved past the door again, looking in at her. She tossed the book aside and sat up. 

"Gordon! What the hell is wrong with you?" 

The sun lightened, tousled blonde head popped around the door frame. 

"Oh, Selly, are you done reading?" 

"Well I am now."

He bounded in like an enthusiastic puppy, dropping down on the end of the bed, forcing her to move her feet quickly out of the way. 

"Did you want something?" 

"No, it's all good." He glanced around, his eyes taking in the new editions to his brother's room. Since Selene had been in his life John had definitely lightened up, growing more comfortable in his own skin and spending more time with them all but, even though Selene had gone shopping with Grandma and Virgil to pick out a few things to make herself feel more at home, John's uniqueness still shined through. 

They had all wondered if Selene would take advantage of John's suggestion that she redecorate his room, but they should have known better. Selene never acted as you would expect her to, very much like all the women in their lives. They were used to strong women that never followed the crowd, Kayo, Grandma, Penelope, it stood to reason that anyone the brothers met would be just as special. 

John's posters and star charts were still on the walls, but a few new types of chart had joined them, ones that showed the phases of the moon and its meanings, the sun and the solstices and the constellations related to star signs. 

Her books were intermingled with his own, her clothes were in his wardrobe mixed in with his, items of makeup and toiletries were scattered around his bathroom and little interesting trinkets and her divination tools had joined his collection of space rocks, awards and celestial models on his shelves. The room had been softened with the addition of softly glowing lamps, fluffy blankets, a squishy armchair that Selene liked to curl up in and a couple of house plants. 

But the most interesting item to appear was what she called her altar, a small, scarf draped table nestled in a corner near the window. It held her tools, candles, crystals and other interesting things he didn't know the use of. The room now smelled of sweet incense and warm candle wax instead of its scent of furniture polish and occasionally John's shower gel. 

He had expected the room to feel different, but he could still sense his brother's presence in there even though he was currently up in Five. Somehow they had managed to blend effortlessly, a natural evolution of the two. 

Gordon would never admit it but he had moments of intense jealousy when he saw the two of them together. Not that he begrudged his brother the happiness he had obviously found, nor that he saw Selene as anything but a much loved sister who often seemed like a female Scott, put there to worry, boss him around and force him to eat. 

No, he just wished he had the same thing. It seemed rather unfair that his brother could manage to meet someone in such a random way and find his perfect partner when, try as he might, he could never seem to get any closer to the one who held his heart in her perfectly manicured hand. 

He sighed, his shoulders slumping. It seemed that every time they got close to their moment something or someone got in the way. 

"Spit it out."

He jerked out of his musings. "What?" 

"Whatever it is that you're thinking so hard about," she reached out and smoothed her thumb down the scrunched up skin between his eyebrows. 

She was right, he had been hovering, mostly because he was trying to get up the guts to not only ask for help but put his plan into action. He guessed it was now or never. 

"Sel, I need your help with something, call it my birthday present."

Selene sat up a little straighter. "OK, obviously I'll help with anything, unless it's a prank on your brother, in which case I'll still help but I'll deny all knowledge and throw you under the bus in a heartbeat."

"Good to know," he grinned, her teasing as always, putting him at ease. "Promise you won't tell anyone about this either."

She touched her hand to her heart and drew a little cross. "Cross my heart, I won't tell a soul."

"OK, first I need to show you something, but we're gonna need transport."

***

Selene's nose was pressed against the window of the little sub, her eyes drinking in the sight of the world outside. 

"Wow…this is just…wow." She had never expected there to be so many colours illuminated by the powerful lights of Four. A moving rainbow of waving, pulsing, rippling beauty that covered the sea floor, building up into what could only be described as an underwater garden. Mounds of coral in all colours created a hilly backdrop for the shoals of colourful fish that swam lazily around them. 

"Better than space?" Gordon nudged her playfully with his elbow. 

"I will never admit it to your brother, but it might just top it. This is incredible, I mean, I've never even been scuba diving."

"You've never…" he shook his head in equal parts amazement and disappointment. "That's it, I'm teaching you to dive. It's amazing, you know John used to join me a lot, he likes to skindive," he saw the blank look on her face. "Where you dive without a suit, just with an aqualung and flippers. He helped teach me to swim you know, Scott wanted to throw me in and let me work it out for myself as Dad did to him and Virg, but John was insistent that he help."

"That's so cute."

"No it's not, it's manly and the complete opposite of cute."

"Sorry, not cute at all, you're right," but her grin said he would never change her mind, she was just humouring him. 

"We're nearly there," he said, changing the subject. "It should be around this area, I worked with Dr Forsythe at the Living Oceans foundation, who specialises in Coral Reef conservation, the results ended up being pretty positive."

"Is that where we're going now?" 

He nodded. "You should start seeing some any minute now."

It was nice and quite interesting to see the way Gordon handled his craft. It was nowhere near as big, fancy or fast as the other Thunderbirds, but he acted like it was an extension of himself. She was used to seeing Gordon as the playfully mischievous one that she often caught plotting something, or out on a mission when he was all seriousness with the odd burst of light. This was different, this was his element and he was beyond comfortable. It was nice to see him so relaxed and happy. 

The first flicker caught his eye and he paused, his finger pointing the way. Her eyes followed his directions, growing wider as she saw the result of his months of effort. 

"That… is truly amazing, boo. She'll love this."

"So you'll help me get her out here?" 

"Oh, you can count on it."

***

"I do so enjoy our little shopping trips," Penelope tucked her arm though Selene's, "you always find such interesting little shops that I would never have thought to look in."

They had wandered all over Union Square and were now making their way down to the bay, Selene having had a nice little restaurant recommended where they could have dinner. 

"I love that dress you got, you suit vintage, it will look beautiful on you. I just wish my style suited it a bit more, but we can't all be blonde and beautiful."

"Oh hush, I happen to know a certain space monitor who thinks you are the most beautiful woman in the world."

Selene smiled, catching sight of their destination. 

"And I happen to know an aquanaut who thinks the same about you," Selene pointed down to the beach where Four sat, surrounded by people.  
The shock on Penelope's face was a sight to behold, it took a lot to surprise her, but they had definitely managed it. 

"Don't keep him waiting."

"But what about dinner? What will you do, Parker isn't returning for at least four hours?" 

"John's picking me up in an hour in my car, we've got a date night. Now go," she gave Penelope a gentle push towards the railings.

Feeling uncharacteristically unsure as to what she was doing and rather ambushed, Penelope slowly descended the steps down to the beach. She had absolutely no idea what was going on, why was he even here, on his birthday of all days, when he should be celebrating with his family. 

The back hatch of Four opened to reveal a grinning Gordon. He cambered out, stretching to his full height but instead of the standard blue uniform he was dressed in smart, grey trousers and a plain white shirt with not a palm tree in sight. His usually messy hair was brushed and an attempt had clearly been made to tame the unruly mop. 

"Lady Penelope."

"Gordon, happy birthday."

"It is now, and also," he reached back into his craft and drew out a bouquet of pink roses, "happy Valentines day."

Penelope could feel an uncharacteristic blush warming her cheeks as she took the flowers. 

"Will you do me the honour of being my Valentine tonight?" 

She nodded. "I'd like that very much."

"I've got something to show you, care to take a little trip with me?" 

"How could I turn down such an offer?"

She took his offered hand and climbed aboard. 

***

Penny had been under water more times than she could count, being an experienced diver and having a car that was more than waterproof, but nothing compared to sitting beside Gordon Tracy as he piloted them deeper into the ocean. 

He'd programmed in the coordinates and left the small craft on autopilot as he produced a picnic basket from her favourite London deli, filled with all her favourites. 

She would never have believed that he had it in him to put together such a romantic gesture, he'd likely had a little help since Selene was obviously involved, but she found she didn't really mind. 

It was nice to be alone together, especially with no chance of interruption bar an emergency. No nosy Parker to wedge himself between them, no darling Bertie to demand their attention, no rescuees to reassure, no brothers to interrupt. Just them and the quiet peace of the ocean. It was rather blissful.  
Now that they had time to talk they made the most of it, chatting between bites of crusty bread, tangy cheese, succulent grapes and a very palatable white wine, catching up on their lives the past few months. 

She looked more beautiful than he had expected, dressed down in casual jeans and a cosy sweater, clothes that one wore to go shopping with a friend rather than to a society event. It was strange but most definitely not unpleasant to see her out of her comfort zone and designer clothes, to see the real woman underneath. This was the one he'd wanted to get to know, the one he was drawn to. 

Penelope found her gaze drawn over and over to the gentle curve of his lips as she watched him eat, recalling just how soft they had felt during their one, brief kiss. She hadn't planned it, she'd just been overwhelmed by everything, seeing him back on active duty after his brush with death had been emotional for her and she'd thrown aside all decorum, giving in to the urge. Now she wanted to be able to do that again, wanted to lean in, close the distance between them and lose herself in the unique presence that was Gordon Tracy. 

He blinked his big caramel eyes at her and she was done for, she inched forward as he did the same...BEEP… 

Gordon leapt back into the pilots seat as they neared a reef, growing instantly more serious as he took back control of the little craft from the autopilot now they had reached their destination, steering it expertly past clusters of coral and waving fronds of exotic underwater plants and little darting fish. 

Gordon watched her eyes drinking in the sight of the reef he'd so lovingly helped to cultivate, to save for future generations. 

"I've been working with a guy specialising in marine conservation breeding, basically breeding hardier fish with those that are endangered, trying to create new breeds that will survive the changing climate."

"Oh really? That's fascinating. Were you successful?" 

Gordon didn't speak for a second, guiding the nose of the sub around a particularly large group of pink puffy anemones. There they were, still in their shoal, lazily swimming, almost exactly where he and Selene had found them two days previously. 

"You tell me," he nodded towards the small, genetically perfect saddleback butterflyfish. 

"Oh my," Penelope stared at the fish, their bodies sparkling in the light of Four's high beams. There was only one way to describe the shine of their scales, the way they seemed to be a silvery pearl colour one moment and with a flick of their body you saw a rainbow of colours…

"Iridescent," she whispered in awe. "I have never seen anything so beautiful. And you helped create them?" 

Gordon smiled proudly, watching his babies swimming happily around the craft as they floated gently through the shoal. They were graceful, unbothered by their presence, seemingly curious as they came right up to the glass to investigate. "Yep, I got to name them too."

"You did? What are they called?" Penelope tickled her finger against the window, laughing with delight as a fish followed her movements, booping its nose on the glass. 

"Well, obviously they have their species name of Chaetodon Ephipippium but in English," he paused, slightly embarrassed now that he was here with her. He took a deep breath, remembering what Selene had instructed him, be bold, be brave, be daring."In English it's a Pretty Penny."

She blinked, unprepared for the wave of emotion his information provoked. He'd named them after her. These beautiful, unique creatures he'd created would forever be a reminder of just how special he was. 

"That's…well…it's very flattering, and they are certainly very pretty," Penelope turned her head, hoping he wouldn't see her blush. She didn't know what to say, how to react. 

Gordon's eyebrows drew down in a frown, did she not like them? Had he been wrong? Be bold, be brave…He reached out a hand and cupped her chin gently, turning her back to face him. 

"Do you not like them?" 

She covered his hand with hers, managing a shaky smile. "No, I love them."

"Then what's the problem?" 

"We can't, we can't do this, not now." She gently pulled his hand away and set it aside. 

"Why not? Give me one good reason?" he refused to let go of her hand. "Just one. Tell me you don't want me and I'll back off."

"What about finding your father? The launch of the new Zero-X?" 

"That isn't a reason not to, that's a reason to take every chance we can and act on it. We don't know what we're going to find up there, if we will even find anything at all. If this and International Rescue itself has taught us anything, it's that life is too short and too unpredictable to waste opportunities by being cautious and scared. You have to grab your happiness with both hands."

"This could change things between us, and not for the better." 

"Or it could make it more amazing. Look at John, he took a leap of faith and I've never seen him happier. I want that, Penny, I want that with you."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small jewellery box, opening it to reveal a natural pearl, carved into the shape of a seashell, strung on a delicate gold chain. 

"What do you say Valentine? Will you be mine?" 

His handsome face was full of hope but also wariness, fear of rejection. Would it be so bad to risk her heart on one such as he? Gordon was a joker, he rarely ever took anything seriously, but here he was, the most sincere she'd ever seen him.  
He was one of the good guys, he saved people, he didn't hurt them. He was worth taking a risk for.

"Tell me you don't want me," he whispered again, a plea for her to tell him the truth. She was powerless to resist. 

"I can't," she whispered back as she moved closer.

His lips brushed hers in the softest of kisses, his mouth catching her little sigh of relief as his arms slid around her waist, pulling her closer. There was no one to interrupt them, no one to tell them no, no one but them. 

No matter what happened in the future, good or bad, they would always have this moment, they would have each other, and the world would have the pretty little fishes that floated outside their little sub of solitude.


	30. Duck, Duck, Goose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was inspired by the third week of prompts from Gumnut-Logic's FabFiveFeb

"Duck…duck…duck...duck….GOOSE!" The young boy slammed his hand down on Selene's head, packing a powerful punch for one so small. The boy shot off like he'd been fired from a cannon to the cheering of his schoolmates. 

"Selene, you gotta run!" Gordon bellowed. It took Selene a second to scramble to her feet but then she took off, running the perimeter of the circle. 

"No! This isn't Baseball, you don't need a home run!" Alan laughed so hard he actually fell backwards out of the circle. 

"Chase him!" 

She changed course and raced after her attacker, who was as slippery as a greased eel and dodged around her, easily avoiding her. 

"Catch him!" Virgil yelled encouragingly.

"I'm trying!" the young boy slipped out of her grasp and threw himself down into her vacated spot. 

"Home!" he smiled triumphantly. 

"Heck, I missed," she threw up her hands in mock disappointment, "I guess I'll just have to sit out." She didn't get more than two paces before she was called back. 

"Sel, you can't leave, that's not how the game works," Virgil grinned from his spot on the ground, where he was sitting cross legged, just like everyone else. 

"I can't?" 

"Nope," Alan chimed in. 

"THIS GAME MAKES NO SENSE! Why do we even have ducks and geese, what's that all about?"

"Haven't you ever played this before?" Gordon looks horrified. 

"No! I never played that at school."

"What did you play then?" A little girl asked her. 

"We played lots of other games, I suppose one of the closest to this is British Bulldog."

"What's that?" a smaller boy who had been looking incredibly bored, suddenly sat up and took notice. 

"Yeah, I've never heard of that one," Gordon admitted. 

"Can we play it now?" a smaller girl asked. 

"I… I guess so, I mean, I don't see why not."

"How does it work?" 

"Well, the aim of the game is to run from one side to another, without getting caught, kids are only allowed to do touch tagging, adults are fair game. We start off with two or more people in the middle who have to catch and tag as many people as possible, the ones that get tagged join the catchers in the middle. We run back and forth until one person is left that makes it safely to the other side."

"That sounds fun," Alan grinned, "I'm in!" 

EARLIER THAT DAY

"Once again I want to thank you all for doing this, and apologise for not being able to attend myself, we had a minor disaster with Hyper2, nothing to worry about, just a small acceleration problem," Tycho Reeves' hologram floated above the instrument panel of Thunderbird Two where John usually appeared. 

"Acceleration problem? I'm not going to have to shoot down another tube am I? We didn't bring Four."

"No, no, it's not that type of problem," Tycho assured them. "The issue is that as soon as we reach full acceleration she starts to go backwards. We think the safety cut off Brains designed is working a little too well."

Selene heard Alan's muffled snort of laughter behind her but managed not to join in, unfortunately Gordon wasn't so disciplined. 

Tycho cleared his throat before continuing.

"As I explained to Scott, the school is counted as a low income area and so it's helped by the charity I patron. They are doing heros week and International Rescue was the most written about people. The competition was held over three schools in the district and the essay that was chosen belongs to a boy named Will."

They all nodded, having read the brief. 

"I've scheduled you in for two hours but the school is more than happy for you to stay as long as you like, the kids especially would like you to have lunch with them if possible."

"I'm always up for lunch," Gordon said, having managed to gain control of his laughter. 

"We'll stay as long as we can," Virgil promised, "but if an emergency comes in, we'll have to go."

"Wouldn't expect anything less," Tycho smiled, cutting the feed with a goodbye nod. 

"This is going to be so much fun!" Alan cheered. 

"This is going to be hell," Selene groaned. 

"You didn't have to come," Virgil pointed out gently. "I don't know why you're making such a fuss, you're great with kids."

"I had to, I couldn't leave all the girls to the mercy of all your testosterone, they had to know that girls can be part of a team too. But I'm still allowed to make a fuss," Selene grumbled.

"We aren't."

"You're boys, it's common knowledge that boys have a hidden inner child that's always bursting to get out."

"I resent that remark," Gordon mock huffed. 

"Plus," Selene continued as if he had never spoken, "you aren't the ones with a womb that your Grandma is determined to guilt into popping out great-grandchildren."

"Would that be so bad?" Virgil asked innocently and she could already see the images in his head from the little smile forming on his face. 

"Yes! With all that Tracy super sperm, I'd have a herd in a year! You guys don't just stop at one." 

Alan choked, Gordon laughed so hard that no sound came out, just a wheeze like asthmatic bagpipes. 

"But dramatic, don't you think?" Virgil's eyebrow arched but his lips twitched as he held back a grin. 

"Not really. But, we talked about it and neither of us feel even remotely ready to think about anything like that, it's just not the right time. Honestly, I don't know if it will ever be the right time or if we'd even want any, at the moment we don't. Much the same as we aren't getting married to please everyone else, I'm not popping out kids for any reason other than us wanting them either."

"Fair enough," he nodded, seeing her point. "You know, Dad used to go to schools and talk to the kids about being an Astronaut. One time he came to the school that Scott and I were at and it was so weird to see all our classmates going crazy over his stories, stories we'd heard a million times before and thought were rather boring. To them he was Jeff Tracy, Astronaut, but to us he was just Dad, the slightly goofy guy that made us do our homework and gave us chores to do around the house."

"Do you think that Dad will do it again after we bring him home?" Alan asked, not remembering anything that Virgil was talking about. Selene reached over to take his hand, giving it a little squeeze. 

"Oh I'm sure he will," Virgil smiled fondly, "that was the only time that people thought he was cool, he'd never give up a chance to tell impressionable kids all about space."

Gordon laughed. "He got John and Alan but never managed with me, I prefer to keep my sights set a little lower and wetter."

"Boy, do not be saying stuff like that in front of the kids," Selene warned as Alan sniggered beside her. 

"I just meant-" 

"We know what you meant," Virgil laughed. 

"Well I'm just going to shut up if I'm going to keep getting picked on!" 

They lapsed into silence until the school playing field came into view, the only place big enough to land. There was already a crowd of children and teachers waiting to greet them. 

"Wow, that's a lot of kids," Alan's eyes grew wider as he looked out of the window to the field below. "Can we handle that many?" 

"Luckily we won't have to, we're doing a talk to everyone in the school hall, and then going to hang out with the winner and his class," Virgil assured him. 

"So only say, thirty kids, not 300?" 

"Yep." 

Alan nodded. "That we can handle." 

Virgil brought the big craft down softly on the grass, and even the soundproofing of Two couldn't drown out the cheers and exited screams of the children. 

"Here we go," Gordon gulped as they walked down into the belly of the craft to make their appearance. 

***

"And remember the golden rule, be safe, be careful, and be kind. Those in need of help aren't just the ones in danger, they are the ones being bullied, being hurt, or in a sad situation. There are some things in life that people can't help and there are some that they can, and you are the next generation of International Rescue Agents, it's your job to make sure that you help as many people as you can," Virgil smiled, looking around at the rapt faces of the kids. 

" You don't have to be big to be a help, " Alan chimed in. 

" You don't have to be super strong," Gordon continued. 

" You don't even have to be a boy, " Selene added to the cheers of a number of girls in the audience. "You don't have to be an action man to help someone, sometimes the help that people really need is to know they have a friend, someone to have their back and to stand with them when they need it. Emotional support is just as important as physical support." 

"Wherever you go, whatever adventures you go on, remember to always think things through and plan for your safety. It can be a big, dangerous world out there and taking risks makes it all the more likely that you'll end up in trouble. Always play safe," Gordon instructed, reiterating the lessons they had just gone over involving safety in the water, out in nature and even in the city and towns. Danger was everywhere, they knew that better than anyone and knew that a situation could turn deadly in a matter of seconds if you weren't fully prepared. They had instructed them on how to make themselves as safe as possible if they did get into trouble, how to call for help and what to do while waiting for help to arrive. Now they were making sure that their lessons had hit home and wrapping up the talk. 

"Always carry your phone," Alan continued to drum in their words of caution, "and never be afraid to ask for help, because there is always someone willing to step up. It could be the police, the fire service, paramedics, mountain rescue, the coastguard or even us."

"We aren't the heros, we're just the ones that use the equipment and knowledge we have to the best of our abilities, and you can too. You can be a hero, you don't need a Thunderbird, you just need a good heart and to be a good friend," Virgil concluded. "Thanks for listening to us today, remember what we said, and together we can all make the world a better place."

The teachers started clapping first, then the children joined in. Selene watched her boys visibly relax as they finished, not really used to public speaking. 

The principal joined them at the front of the hall and thanked them for their time. 

"Are there any questions for International Rescue before we finish and go back to our lessons?" 

A sea of hands shot up and Principal Jones waited patiently for them to pick a few children. 

Virgil scanned the little faces, the waving arms and the zeroed in, pointing to a smaller boy sitting on the end of a row, who startled and looked around to make sure that it was actually him who had been picked. He was clearly very nervous and not used to being noticed, but he sat up straighter, his voice growing louder as he gained confidence. 

"Hi, my name is Jason, I just wanted to ask-" 

"Speak up, Jason, we can't hear you," a teacher called encouragingly. 

Jason took a deep breath and spoke again, this time a little louder. "How did you guys get so big, big enough to help people? Were you ever smaller, like me?" 

"Alan's still small," Gordon quipped, earning himself a glare from his brother. 

"Believe it or not, we were all small at your age," Virgil answered, ignoring his brothers. 

"Even you?" 

"Even me."

"So I won't stay this small forever?" 

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with being smaller," Alan insisted. "You don't measure a person's worth on how big they are, but on what they do. You don't have to be big to be brave." 

"Jason will never be brace or big then," a voice called out from the other end of the row. 

Jason hung his head, looking down at his shoes, clearly embarrassed. 

"Hey, that's not a very nice thing to say, Jacob," Principal Jones called out. "We don't bully people here, were you not listening to a word these nice people said?" 

"Sorry Principal Jones," Jacob called back, sounding a little less cocky and a little more contrite. 

Virgil was off before anyone realised he was moving, coming to a stop beside Jason's seat. He hunkered down, getting as close to the boys level as he could. 

"Don't ever let anyone tell you that you can't be brave, OK?" He was speaking directly to the boy but his deep voice carried across the hall with little effort, making sure that everyone heard him. 

"But it's true, I'm not brave." 

"Sure you are, you're talking to us now aren't you? That's brave." 

Jason didn't answer. 

"There's nothing wrong with being quiet, you know. Not everyone has to be loud and the center of attention."

"But how will I ever be a Thunderbird if I can't be brave and talk to people?" 

"I know it's hard, but you don't have to talk to people face to face to be brave or to help people." 

"I don't?" 

"No, our brother is much like you, he doesn't like to be around many people or to talk to them if he can help it, but he still spends all day, every day helping people." 

"How does he do that?" 

Virgil smiled. "He listens. And sometimes that's all people need, to know that there is someone out there that cares enough to listen for those that need help. We couldn't do our job without him." 

Jason appeared to think about this for a few moments before he nodded. "OK, I'll do that, I'll listen to people and make sure they get help if they need it." 

"Good plan," Virgil hauled himself to his feet, patting the boy gently on the shoulder before joining the others once again. 

"Are there any more questions?" Principal Jones asked and once again what looked like a million hands shot up into the air. 

"It's going to be a long day," Gordon whispered to Selene in a side whisper. 

***

"So, everyone clear on the rules?" Selene called over the noise of almost forty excited kids and three grown men who were just as loud. 

She, Gordon, Will and a little girl named Mandy were lined up in the center of the games area, while Virgil, Alan and the rest of the children stood in a pack in front of them. 

"On your marks, get set, GO!" their teacher yelled, blowing a whistle. The kids surged forwards, Virgil and Alan running with them. 

Selene managed to tap two gently on the shoulder, Gordon tagged four and Will and Mandy tagged one each before the rest made it to the other side and safety. 

The eight tagged children joined them in the middle, spreading out to form a line of defense. 

"We've got them now!" Gordon crowed as the whistle blew again. This time he only caught two and Selene didn't manage one. They were slippery little buggers who could duck and dive better than Kayo. 

Third round and Gordon leapt on a screaming Alan, bringing him down to the ground in a tangle of limbs. Selene went after Virgil but missed. 

Fifth round and they had all but three children and Virgil in the center, ready to rumble.

"Team, we made it this far, we've done our best, no matter what happens next, no matter who wins or who falls, we're all winners!" Virgil's rousing speech was met with whoops from his team mates. The whistle blew and they ran. 

Two were caught instantly and joined the ranks of the catchers, one dodged past three kids and dived between Selene's legs only to be tagged by Gordon who was protecting her rear. That left… 

Alan broke away from the pack and chased after Virgil who was running full pelt, trying to reach the end of the line and dodge around the edge, unable to plow through the middle. 

With a battle cry that sounded like a strangled baboon, Alan leapt onto his brother's back. 

"Bundle!" he screamed and a gaggle of kids rushed to his aid. 

They swarmed Virgil, some grabbing onto his legs, others hanging off his arm as he fought valiantly to keep moving. Technically he had lost the second Alan had landed on his back, but they were clearly having too much fun to stop. 

Virgil continued his attempt to walk but eventually he had to give in and admit defeat. 

Declaring Virgil the winner, the kids teacher pried a few enthusiastic kids off his leg, although he asked her to leave the little girl who had hold of his hand and was refusing to let go. 

It was a tired but happy group of children who waved goodbye to their heros an hour later. 

Selene sat back in her chair with an exhausted sigh, Alan beside her. It didn't take long for his eyes to droop shut and his head to come to rest on her shoulder. 

She pulled out her phone and started to flick through the pictures she'd taken. There was Gordon making faces with a couple of boys, there was Will reading out his prize winning essay, Alan pointing out various planets and constellations on a map to a number of enthralled kids and last Virgil. The little girl who wouldn't let go of his hand now perched on his lap, hugging his arm as he sat on an impossibly small chair that looked like it was about to buckle any second, a ring of starstruck children sitting on the floor in front of him while he told them stories of their rescues. 

Selene had always known that he was an amazing big brother, just like Scott was but for different reasons. Scott was the one that would leap to your defense and want to pummel whoever had hurt his sibling, but he had a devilish streak that surfaced now and then. Virgil always had his brothers backs, he was always there, ready to lend a hand and help them out of any situation, he was the solid, comforting presence that soothed your fears and made everything better. Seeing him with the kids had given her a glimpse of what he must have been like with Alan and Gordon when they were younger and it made her love him all the more.

She hadn't said anything while they had been speaking of children, but one of the reasons she and John were so dead set against kids at that moment in time was because John, as well as the others, knew only too well just how hard it was to grow up missing a parent, and for Alan he'd done it twice. They led dangerous lives and the thought of one of them possibly not making it home to their children one day wasn't something they wanted to think about. But now, seeing how they were with the kids at the school, Selene knew that any child she had would have the most wonderful family to look out for them, with four amazing uncles, a kick ass Auntie in Kayo, a tough as nails Grandma and hopefully a Grandfather that would adore them.


	31. Aurora

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're never too old for a bedtime story.

"Aurora, sister of Helios always announced his coming, leading the way across the heavens in her very own chariot, which she rode bravely across the vast horizon, both morning and night, before and after the sun-god. She was not just known for the rosy morn but also the twilight, for which she is often depicted as dwelling in the west. "

"Her abode was a magnificent structure, surrounded by flowery meadows and lush green lawns, where nymphs and other immortal beings frolicked, dancing as one, in and out, back and forth, whilst a sweet melody accompanied their graceful, gliding movements." 

"Aurora was described by poets and bards as a beautiful maiden, with rosy cheeks and large wings, whose plumage displayed an ever-changing hue of colours. She wore a star on her forehead, carried a torch in her hand and was covered by the rich folds of her violet-tinged robes."

"She left her bed before the break of day, and harnessed her two beautiful horses, Lampetus and Phaethon, to her glorious chariot."

"With never ending cheerfulness she opens the gates of the heavens in order to herald the approach of her brother, the god of the day, whilst tender plants and flowers, nourished by the morning dew, lift their heads in welcome as she passes."

"Aurora first married the Titan, Astreaus, and their children were Heosphorus, the evening star and the four winds."

"Her second union was with Tithonus, son of Laomedon, the king of Troy. Tithonus wine her affection with his unrivalled beauty. Aurora, unhappy with the thought that they would be parted once he did as all humans do and died, begged Zeus to bestow upon her love the gift of immortality. Unfortunately, Zeus is a tricky god, one who often thinks only of himself and acts first, thinking second. You see, Aurora had neglected to add eternal youth to her request." 

"The consequences of this were of course, only apparent in time when, inevitably, Tithonus grew old and decrepit, losing all his beauty that she had once admired. Aurora, unable to stand the sight of him, knowing what he had once been and why he had become thus, acted impulsively and locked him away in a chamber where he continued to waste away, until little was left of him but a voice weak and feeble, but an echo."

"It's told that, when he begged for release, begged to die, Aurora took pity on him and exerted her divine powers, changing him into a grasshopper, allowing him his freedom to continue his ceaseless chirpings all over the world. "

"Aurora, the goddess of the dawn, known to many as Eos, lived on and on, keeping constant watch, leading her brother and bringing with her the knowledge of each and every day. She is a constant presence, nothing is as sure as the fact that the sun will rise."

"Day after day, year after year, she is there. She is the dawn." 

Selene reached up to place the book on the shelf above the little fold out bed that she and John were squashed up on, and turned to look at the mechanical eye that hung above her. 

"I liked that story," EOS's little girl voice was soft, quiet so as not to disturb her creator, who had fallen asleep two stories before, his head pillowed on Selene's chest. 

"I did too, stories are important, it's how we learn, it's how we pass down knowledge from one generation to the next. It's how we teach morals and how to be a good person, it's how we learn history and understand how the world works."

"Is that why you started reading us stories at night?" 

Selene nodded. "That and it's the only way to get this one to actually stay still long enough to rest. Plus I thought you needed another side to your learning, John can bring the logic and the order, I will bring the chaos and the things you probably wouldn't think to ask."

Selene tightened her arm around her love and smiled at the little gold star she had stuck to the top of EOS's lense. 

"Is the story why you gave me my star? Because that Eos wears one?" 

Selene nodded. "Yep, that and you're special enough to deserve it."

"She is very like me, for I will continue to outlive those I believe I love, I will watch everyone grow old too."

Selene sighed, her fingers absently combing through John's hair as she thought about the AI's words. 

"That's true in some ways, but not in others."

"Why is that?" the camera extended from her hub, like a child leaning forward to listen. 

"Well, being able to care about someone isn't limited, you won't only care about a set number of people," she absently kissed the top of his head as she chose her words in the best way that EOS would understand. "Think of it this way, when they bring Jeff home, something I have absolutely no doubt in, then there will be another person in the family, and you and I being the newest ones will care about him too. Do you understand that?" 

"I do, yes. At first I only cared about John, but then I watched his brothers, Kayo, Grandma and others and saw that he cared about them. I saw when he worried about them and over time I learnt to care about them too."

"Exactly right, baby girl. Families tend to be an ever growing thing, eventually, somewhere in time, there will be other partners coming and likely children being born and we'll all love them too."

"Statistically that is very likely, your logic is sound."

Selene smiled, wondering if EOS knew just how much like John she sometimes sounded, and if it was a conscious thought or purely accidental. 

"Well that's where you come in, sweetie."

"It is?" her lights flickered, a sure sign, Selene had come to realise, that she was confused and struggling to understand a concept.

"It is. Because, as you just said, you won't age, not the way we do, so you have a very important job."

"Which is?" 

"You have to watch over them all. You have to be there to help them, to guide them, to teach them. Just as you help John, you'll be there to help them. Watching over them just as Aurora watched over her family and the human race. Just as sure as the sun will always rise, you will be a constant in our lives and theirs. I think that's quite an important job, don't you?"

EOS paused, her lights cycling through two rotations before she answered. 

"Yes. I believe it is important." 

"Good."

They lapsed into silence for a little while, EOS probably off somewhere in the heart of Five checking on the monitoring station, while Selene took the time to really look at her love now that he was finally still and relaxed. 

He looked tired, slightly slimmer and had dark circles under his eyes along with probably a day or two's worth of stubble on his usual smooth chin. She knew he'd been worried about their upcoming rescue mission, the biggest, most dangerous yet, but ultimately the most important one they had ever had to face, and the stress had obviously been taking its toll. 

To say that she hadn't spent time worrying just as much would be a lie, she knew she would be a complete wreck the entire time they were gone too. There was never any guarantee that things would go as they should, there was always the threat of the Chaos Crew and the Hood hanging over their heads and this time would likely be no different. 

The thought of losing any one of the boys, Kayo or Brains filled her with utter dread, but the idea of having to live even a single day without the man in her arms was too horrific to consider. 

Her mind would be in overdrive imagining all the possible and impossible ways that things could fuck up and go wrong, especially as she would be stuck on earth and so far away. 

Selene wouldn't be there, they had already discussed it. She had been asked to step in to help with a GDF enquiry after her work with Kayo. She had gone through a few months of training, extra background checks which, after Kayo's, barely scratched the surface, and had gone on a couple of jobs with Penelope to get a little more experience. Strangely, it seemed that when you were dressed as a crazy hippy people would either ignore you or they would spill their guts and tell you everything. Either way, it seemed to be a combination that worked. Honestly she was glad that she would be kept busy, it would give her less time to worry. 

"EOS?" she kept her words almost a whisper, not wanting to wake him. 

"Yes?" she was there instantly. 

"Look after him for me? Look after them all. Monitor them the whole time, keep in constant contact and let me know everything that happens. I need to know."

"I will."

"Promise?"

"I promise, Selene. Even if you hadn't asked, I would do it. He is my creator, I'd never leave him alone."


	32. Pancake Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was inspired by the fourth week of prompts from Gumnut-Logic's FabFiveFeb, that and pancake day in the UK.

"Scott?" Alan whined from his position slumped over the kitchen table, his arm up to speak into his comm. "Can you make me some pancakes?" 

"No I can't, sorry, I'm just too busy, " Scott's distracted voice floated from Alan's wrist. 

"Oh come on, you make them the best."

"I don't have time."

"But Selene said it's pancake day in the UK, it's tradition."

"No, Alan, I'm waiting for Brains to finish that modification to Thunderbird One so I can test her out and make sure she's still operational for rescues as well as the Zero-XL."

"But he won't be done for ages…"

Scott declined to answer, cutting the call. 

Alan huffed, sat up and crossed his arms angrily. All he wanted was to spend some time with his brother like they used to. Scott made the best pancakes in the world, he could flip and land them perfectly, any shape, any size and they always came out golden brown and fluffy.

He'd been dreaming about those pancakes, remembering how their dad had patiently tried to teach them all how to mix up the perfect batter, how to test the heat of the pan and how to flip them just right. 

Virgil and Scott had mastered the batter instantly, seeming to have a knack for measuring by eye and mixing it with a hand whisk. John had taken his time, insisting on noting down the exact weight and measurements of each ingredient as Jeff had added them and then using the blender to make it as smooth as humanly possible. Gordon and Alan had shared a bowl, which has descended into chaos as they had both tried to add ingredients, ending up with a lumpy, eggy, sloppy mess. 

Virgil's pancakes had been nice enough, a little messy around the edges, a little abstract but edible and easily flipped with a spatula. John's had been perfectly formed equal little rounds of fluffy goodness, small enough to flip with a spatula and stack easily. Alan and Gordon had dropped many, burnt a few and had a couple still raw. But Scott's had been perfect. He had flipped them as if he had been doing it his whole life, an easy wiggle and flick of his wrist and up they had sailed, executed a perfect 180 and landed back in the pan with a gentle splat. He had experimented with different flavours, adding chocolate chips and different sauces to various degrees of success but always perfectly cooked. 

Over the years the duty of making pancakes for breakfast on a weekend had fallen to Scott and their dad, the two tag teaming, perfectly synchronised, Jeff mixing and plating them up, Scott pouring and flipping. If Scott was in a particularly good mood or had time to spare he would try to make the pancakes in simple shapes, a fish for Gordon, a rocket for Alan, a star for John. It didn't matter what the shape was, he always managed to flip and land it without trouble. 

After Jeff had disappeared Scott had continued to make them for any family that was home, it had been a tradition for so long that they had clung to it, it was familiar, it was comforting and they had needed that more than ever. 

Over the years as International Rescue had gotten busier, their days more unpredictable and their weekends almost non existent their breakfasts had trailed off and then stopped all together. 

Alan hadn't realised how much he missed them until he'd woken up with a craving for Scott's special toffee apple pancakes, made with applesauce and chunks of fresh apple mixed right into the batter and toffee sauce drizzled on top. He could practically taste them. 

They had all been so wrapped up in the Zero-XL building and the possibility of finding their dad that they had barely spent any time together, it felt like they were growing further apart rather than closer together as they should have been. They were about to reunite their family, to be complete for the first time in eight years but Alan couldn't help that he was a little worried. What if things changed? What if their dad wasn't the man they all remembered? It had been hard to lose him but they had all come to terms with it, had each learnt to accept it in their own way and now he didn't really know what to think. Their world was about to change all over again and, much as he hated to admit to himself, he was nervous. He craved something normal, something solid and dependable. He wanted his big brother. 

"What's up puddin'? Why the long face?" Selene wandered into the kitchen from who knew where, her face full of concern. "You OK, boo?" 

Alan nodded, not trusting himself to speak just yet. 

As always, Selene knew exactly when he needed a hug, even though he would never ask for one, and pulled him into her arms. 

"Talk to me, precious." 

He wrapped his arms around her waist, leaning his head against her shoulder, allowing her warm, comforting presence to surround him. She held him tight, not making any move to let go, something he loved about her. There was never any time limit to a Selene hug, none of that brief embrace then let go as soon as you could rubbish, she'd happily stand there for an hour if that was what you needed. More times than he cared to remember he'd found himself leaning against her on the couch, allowing her to wrap an arm around his shoulder and draw him into a cuddle that could last the entirety of a film. Selene he felt safe talking to, she never judged, he didn't feel like he had to be manly with her, to act mature or hide anything from fear of upsetting or angering her. 

"Scott won't make me any pancakes." Just saying it out loud sounded stupid, like all that was wrong was the fact that he was hungry and wasn't getting his own way. He didn't want to sound like a spoiled brat. "I mean, I wanted him to make them with me, like he used to, but he's too busy. He's right, I shouldn't have asked."

Selene sighed, hugging him tighter. "No he's not, darling. He's not too busy, he's hiding away. And you were right to ask." 

Alan lifted his head to look at her, confusion written all over his face. "Scott's hiding? What for? Scott doesn't hide, he faces everything." 

She shook her head. "No, he doesn't, that's just what he wants you all to think, especially you."

"Why me?" 

"Because you're his baby brother, he wants you to have someone you can look up to, someone dependable and in control, even if he doesn't always feel that way on the inside." 

Alan snorted. "I doubt Scott feels that way, he's so sure about everything. He has a one track mind, get the Zero-XL finished, find Dad and everything will be fine." He pulled out of her embrace and sat down on one of the kitchen stools.

"And are you not sure about his plans?" 

Alan scowled as she zeroed in on the problem with that uncanny ability of hers, not needing him to even voice it. She stared right back at him, face neutral, waiting for him to elaborate. He picked up a spoon that had been abandoned on the counter and fiddled with it, needing something to do with his hands. 

"I don't know." 

She waited some more, leaning patiently against the sink, giving him the time he needed to collect his thoughts and choose his words. 

"What if everything is different after? Not in a good way I mean. Everyone is so desperate to have Dad back and so sure that it'll be brilliant, and I think that too, but…" 

"But there's a little part of you that is scared and worried that he won't be how you all want him to be?" 

He nodded, relieved that she understood exactly what he meant. 

"No one else thinks that way. Just me. Because I'm the youngest and because I don't really remember him that well. It's like…" he paused, unsure if he could say the words. But this was Selene he was talking to, she would get it. "It's like he's a character from a favourite film, one that's so familiar it's like they are part of your life, but they also seem so abstract, like you know that they aren't actually real. Does that make sense?" 

"Perfect sense. And believe me, you aren't the only one feeling this way. Scott's been in charge of this family for a long time, in charge of International Rescue and everything that comes with it, this is his baby as much as it was your dad's. And John, he is happy and content with his work in Five. You know he loves coordinating and bossing you all around, he loves to organise and prioritise each call that comes in. He told me that before your dad disappeared all he did was field the calls and relay them to base so your dad could make all the decisions. That's going to take some getting used to and some toes are going to get stepped on, there will probably be arguments and compromises will be needed. But it'll all come in time. I haven't spoken to Gordon or Virgil about it but I'm willing to bet they feel the same. You will all need to get to know one another again, you're all different people to how you were then, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing, sweetie."

Alan looked down at the spoon in his hands, now bent out of shape, the bowl twisted back to meet the handle."What if he doesn't like me? " His voice was small, so quiet she barely heard him. 

Oh gods, her heart was just breaking for him at that moment. Her poor little sweetheart. She crossed over and hugged him from behind, kissing the top of his head. 

"Baby, there isn't a single person in this world that wouldn't love you. You are perfect." 

"You have to say that, you're marrying my brother." 

She sighed, flicking his ear gently. "No I don't. And do you honestly think that I'm not shitting myself too?" 

Her rude words made him choke out a surprised laugh as he rubbed his abused ear. "Why would you be scared?" 

"I'm meeting your dad for the first time and I'm not exactly anyone's dream of a daughter in law. I'm a crazy witch that swears too much and moved into his house. He could hate me." 

It was Alan's turn to make her feel better. "He'll love you, because we all do, and there's no way he couldn't. You have made my brother the happiest he's ever been, you've made him better, and Dad will see that. You haven't just helped John, you don't just love John, you love us all." 

She smiled gratefully, hugging him tightly from behind, squishing him against her chest so he couldn't see the way her eyes were damp with unshed tears. "I got stuck with all of you, bloody package deal brothers."

He laughed, knowing she didn't mean it. 

"Give me your comm." 

"What? Why?" he lifted his arm up for her. 

She tapped the screen and waited for Scott to answer. 

"Yes, Alan?" 

"Scott," she wheedled. "You know you love me…will you come and make me some pancakes? " 

Alan muffled a laugh with his hand. His brother was silent for a few moments, then his long suffering sigh floated out. 

"Fine, I'm coming up." 

"How did you do that? How come he never says no to you?" 

"Witch magic." 

"That can't be your answer to everything, you know." 

"Say's who?" 

"Say's me," Scott answered as he entered the kitchen, ruffling Alan's hair affectionately as he passed. 

"Rude, you weren't included in this conversation."

Scott ignored her, knowing exactly what was going on. He felt bad that he'd said no to Alan's request, had wanted to drop everything the second his baby brother had asked, but a sense of duty had prevented it. How could it be right for him to stand around making pancakes when there was work to be done and what seemed like a million things to prepare for his dad's homecoming? Honestly, he was grateful that Selene had intervened, giving him an excuse to spend some time with his smallest brother. 

"What pancakes do you want, squirt?" 

"Toffee Apple," Alan answered immediately. 

"How did I know you'd say that?" Scott reached for a large mixing bowl and gestured to the store cupboard. 

"Because they are my favourites," Alan started taking out packages of flour and jars of applesauce without being asked, both of them falling back into their familiar routine. 

Selene took herself off to the side and sat down at the table, content to watch them work together. Alan helped Scott to measure out the ingredients and they both took turns whisking it into a smooth batter then added a sprinkling of chopped apple into the mix. 

Scott lined up three skillets and set the heat beneath them, letting them get nice and hot. Once they were to his liking he took a ladle and spooned out a big dollop into the middle of each pan. 

So impressive were his skills that he didn't even need to use a spatula to loosen the bottom as she would have done, no he just wiggled the pan and the pancake slid up the side like a well trained puppy, ready to be tossed. 

Scott wiggled the pan a bit more, playing up to the enthusiastic encouragement of Alan, then with a flick of his wrist the pancake soared upwards, turning in midair and coming down to land perfectly in the center of the pan, much to the appreciative cheering of Selene and Alan. 

He repeated the process in quick succession until a large stack of pancakes rested on the warming plate. 

"Can you call the others to come eat?" Scott requested and Alan scrambled to do his bidding. 

"Let's see if I've still got this," Scott muttered under his breath as he took a smaller spoon and dipped it in the remaining mixture, dribbling it into the pan, returning time and again for another dip, concentration etched on his face. 

Selene wandered over to watch over his shoulder, seeing the vague but recognisable shape of Thunderbird Three forming in the pan. Scott let it cook through until little air bubbles had formed all over the surface and then wiggled it up to the side. 

"Ready?" 

Both Selene and Alan nodded and with a deep breath, Scott launched the rocket skyward. It sailed up on its perfectly plotted path, dipped at the tip and turned end over end, hurtling back to the pan. Scott flailed comically for a second before he caught the little rocket, the only damage being a slight crease where the nose cone had hit the rim of the pan. 

Selene clapped, very impressed and Scott bowed theatrically, his face split in a wide smile as he returned it to the heat for another minute then carefully slid the lovingly made treat onto the plate Alan held out. 

"Pancakes!" Gordon cheered as he dashed in, heading straight to the stack. "We haven't had these in years!" He glanced over at the rocket that Alan was drenching in toffee sauce. "Hey! Where's my fishy? You always make me a fishy." 

"I'm working on it," Scott started his dip and dribble routine all over again, drawing an outline first and then filling in the center, all under Gordon's watchful eye. 

Virgil wandered in and retrieved a plate, helping himself to a few from the stack. Brains was next, and then Kayo, followed, slowly and somewhat hesitantly, by The Mechanic, who was still refusing to give anyone his real name. Selene was secretly convinced that it was either something mundane, like Dave, or very out there like Heathcliff and that he had been cursing his parents ever since. Either way, she called him Nic, shortened from Mechanic and he had learnt to do what everyone else in the family did and ignore her. 

A pair of warm arms slid around her middle, making her jump, John's evil chuckle muffled against her skin as he kissed her neck in greeting. 

"How did this happen?" 

Selene looked over at Scott as he caught the fish perfectly, pleased to see the way he had visibly loosened over the last half hour of so of fun with his youngest brother. 

"We wanted pancakes, it's traditional on Shrove Tuesday in Britain."

"Was that all, huh?" 

She nodded, leaning back against his space suit clad chest, her fingers lacing through his. "Yep, that's it."

"A fish is easy to flip," Kayo taunted from her place at the table, a fork full of pancake halfway to her mouth. 

"I'd like to see you do better," Scott challenged, already working on another, this time star shaped. 

"Anyone could do it," Kayo shrugged. 

"Yeah," John joined in, obviously in the mood to push some buttons. "It's simply a case of angle, height and force, physics, couldn't be simpler."

Selene grinned evilly. "You know what else is traditional in my country?" 

"What?" Alan asked, his voice muffled, cheeks bulging like a hamster's. 

"Pancake races."

***

Half an hour later saw them all outside on the beach. Selene and Grandma acting as judges and general rule keepers, while the brothers, Kayo and, after much persuasion, The Mechanic and Brains were all lined up ready to race. 

"OK, remember, you can only run if you are flipping and catching and while the pancake is in the air, you can use both hands on the handle if you want to, but if you drop your pancake you have to stop and pick it up, place it back in your pan to flip again, you cannot throw it into the air and catch it. You have to complete one stationary toss and catch before you can pass the pan over. First team to cross the finish line wins. Got it?" They all nodded seriously. 

"Ready team A?" 

Gordon, Scott, Kayo and Brains cheered in response. 

"Ready team B?" 

John, Virgil, Alan and The Mechanic whooped in answer. 

"Alright! On your marks! Get set…" Brains and The Mechanic readied themselves. "GO!" 

Brains gripped the pan handle with both hands and hefted it upwards. The pancake barely lifted and did a very ungraceful belly flop back down but that counted and he managed to take a few steps forward. 

The Mechanic had a little more strength and was a tad more coordinated and after a practice flip and catch, he got the hang of it and managed to make pretty good time. 

Brains on the other hand, missed the pancake twice and had to retrieve it from the sand and toss it again before he could move. When he managed two flips and catches in succession his team mates cheered like crazy. 

He passed the pan over to Kayo who flipped and took off, getting in three steps before she had to catch and flip again. 

John took over from The Mechanic, taking his time to do an experimental flip, landing it well enough. He then tried again, leaning forward a bit and tossing at an angle rather than straight up, stretching to catch the flat disc. 

"Come on, John, MOVE!" Alan yelled. 

John ignored him, ignored the way Kayo was making steady progress down the beach, flipping, catching and running a few quick steps. 

One more practice and he got his rhythm. With a wrist flick at the right angle, just the right spin, the right speed… He took off running, managing to toss the pancake ahead of him and catch it every time without slowing his pace once. Alan and Virgil burst into loud cheers, Alan bouncing on the spot eager to receive the pan for his lap. 

"What the fu-" Kayo missed her pancake completely as John sailed past her effortlessly. She grabbed the pancake and put it back in the pan, tossed it hurriedly into the air, but over compensated and ended up running right past it and having to backtrack and pick it up again. 

"Damn you, Tracy!" 

John waved a casual hand behind him in acknowledgement, came to a gentle stop beside Alan, tossed and caught it one more time then handed over the pan much to Selene's supportive cheers. 

"Hey! Favouritism from the Judge!" Gordon yelled as he waited impatiently for Kayo to reach him. 

"Dude, he's running in a skin tight suit and didn't mess up once, I'm allowed to cheer!" 

"Divided loyalties!" 

John spread his hands in a what-can-I-say-the-truth-is-the-truth gesture, a smug smile on his face, not even out of breath. 

The edge of Kayo's pan hit Gordon in the kidney as she nudged him to get his attention. 

"Shit!" he grabbed the pan and tossed the sandy and now decidedly ragged pancake into the air, taking a couple of steps. 

Alan was faring better and stopped mid step to stick his tongue out at Gordon. Splat! The pancake landed on his head as he turned back. 

"That doesn't count as catching it!" Scott yelled at Grandma. 

"He's right, Alan, toss it again, it has to be caught in the pan."

Alan slapped the pancake down into the pan and tossed it again as Gordon started to catch up. 

Alan got in a few running steps before he caught the pancake. 

Gordon threw the pancake into the air but didn't manage to land it right, one side flopping off the edge of the pan where it ripped, one half falling to the ground. 

"Grab it!" Scott yelled. 

Gordon fumbled but grabbed the lost half and deposited it into the pan. Tossing both halves was tricky but he managed it, catching both with a little extra effort. 

Alan had stopped dead to laugh at Gordon's pancake disaster, allowing Gordon to pass him, but tossed and caught quickly, rushing to catch up. 

"Ooof!" Alan landed on the sand as Gordon innocently pulled his foot back. "You tripped me!" 

"Judges!" Virgil yelled. 

"Two toss penalties for Gordon!" Grandma ruled, much to Gordon's disgust. 

Alan made the most of his time advantage to get to his feet and hurry forward. He stopped, tossed and caught then passed the pan on to Virgil. 

Gordon caught up and gave Scott the pan. 

The two eldest and probably most competitive of the boys started their lap. 

"You killed this pancake, Gordy!" Virgil complained as he tried to get the hang of flipping both halves. 

"Blame Kayo, she started it! OWW! There was no need to hit me!" 

Kayo rubbed her knuckles and grinned evilly. 

Scott was, as predicted, making excellent time, tossing and catching with effortless ease while Virgil cursed, struggling to master the art of a double flip and catch. In the end he settled for smaller tosses of a higher frequency, the ragged halves barely lifting up but still clearing the pan and therefore counting, while he trotted along in a quick shuffling run. 

The two teams cheered, bellowing encouragement and insults, having left their previous spots and converged on the finishing line. 

"Come on, Scott!" 

"Run, Virg!" 

"Flip it!" 

"Call that a toss? Pathetic!" 

Scott glanced over his shoulder at his brother. 

"Might as well give up now, you can't beat me!" 

"In your dreams!" Virgil yelled back. 

The finishing line was in sight and with a last burst of speed the racers edged closer. 

Virgil, in a last ditch attempt to win, tossed the pancake halves towards the finish line -a beach towel laid out on the sand- and threw himself forward. 

Scott, spotting what he was up to, did the same… 

Virgil stretched out with the pan, ready to catch the falling food… 

Scott dived, reaching out…

They landed in a tangle of arms and legs, Scott splayed out on top of Virgil, Virgil face down in the sand… 

They all watched in horrified fascination as the pancakes seemed to hover suspended in mid air for a second before falling down to earth. 

Scott flapped with his pan, Virgil flailed trying to push Scott off him, managing to get an arm free to stick out his pan. 

PLOP! plop plop! 

The two judges, along with the rest of the teams, rushed towards the two fallen racers. 

"Seriously?"

"What are the odds?" 

"What?" Scott pulled himself up off a complaining Virgil and looked into his pan. 

Virgil sat up, doing the same.

In his pan sat Scott's still vaguely round pancake. And in Scott's, crumpled and creased, ripped and sandy, were the lumps of pancake that had belonged to Virgil. 

"So who won?" Gordon asked. 

***

"I saved you the last pancake," Scott came up behind Alan and offered him the plate. 

"Thanks, Scott," Alan shifted over on the bench to make space for his brother and took the plate. "And thanks for today."

Scott sat down beside his brother, draping his arm around his shoulders. "You're welcome, and I'm sorry I didn't come straight away. I guess I've been a little preoccupied recently. I know that's not an excuse, but it did feel like a valid reason at the time."

"I shouldn't have asked, not really, you had more important things to do."

"No, you were right to ask, it's been a great afternoon and I think we all needed it. Thanks for forcing me to take a break."

Alan nodded, leaning closer to rest his head against his brother's shoulder.

"I just…I guess I feel like so much has changed so quickly and it's only going to change more. When Selene said it was pancake day I remembered how great it used to be to have fun and just spend time together. With everything that's been happening I didn't want that to be something that changed too."

Scott sighed, giving Alan's shoulder a squeeze.

"I'm sorry, I should have realised that. I should have noticed that you needed a bit more time than I've been giving you lately."

Alan scowled. "It's not your job to give me time, I'm not a baby, I'm big enough to look after myself now."

Scott chuckled. "Are any of us big enough to look after ourselves? Or is that why we all want Dad back so much?" 

"Selene said that you weren't busy, you were hiding," Alan had zero issues with throwing her under the bus, knowing that Scott would never make her feel bad about it. 

Scott was silent for a few moments before he spoke again. "She's not wrong, I guess, in a way, I have been hiding. I know I've been driving Brains and The Mechanic nuts with my constant attention. I'm just worried I think, worried that we'll be too late and we won't find Dad, worried that even if we do find him he won't be the man we remember."

"That's part of my problem, I don't remember him, not really. I just know that he was nice, and that everyone was less stressed when he was around."

"Yeah, dads always make things better and easier. Can I let you in on a secret?" 

Alan nodded. 

"I've been avoiding you guys a bit, especially you, because I don't want to let any of you down." 

"Let us down? That's crazy! There's no way you could ever do that."

Scott closed his eyes, feeling so tired all of a sudden, the fun and relaxation of the last few hours fading away to be replaced with the bone deep exhaustion that was his constant companion. 

"I'm having all these doubts, Allie. Doubts that I've been too stubborn to voice out loud."

Alans eyes opened wide. Selene had said that Scott was having the same fears he was, but he hadn't really believed her up until that point. 

"What do you mean? What kind of doubts?" 

Scott turned away to look out over the island to the sea below them, stretching out as far as the eye could see. 

"I worry that he won't be alive when we get there, or that we won't even find him, but I also worry about what will happen if we do manage to bring him home. I want him home, of course I do, but things are going to change, and I'm just hoping that it won't be too hard on us all, especially Dad. We've been on our own, doing things our way with International Rescue for longer than we were doing them with him, and I worry that we're going to clash. Or even that Dad won't want to be here any longer, that he won't want to continue the way we are or even go out on rescues again. Can you imagine a world without International Rescue in it? One where we sit at home and don't help people? It was trying to save people that got Dad lost in the first place, and we've spent eight years saving others but left him alone. We didn't help him. What if he resents us for that? What if he blames us?" Scotts voice dropped lower, almost a whisper." What if he blames me? I'm the one that's in charge."

"I've thought all that too, apart from the bits about you, he would never blame you, none of us would."

Scott hugged his littlest brother tighter than ever, until Alan squeaked and squirmed to get away. He didn't know how he'd missed the fact that Alan himself had also been worried. 

He was lucky to have his brothers and the friends that he counted as family. He felt his tight shoulders loosen a little. None of them knew what they would find when they got up there, or what would happen after, but no matter what, he'd have the support of everyone he held dear. That would be enough to get him through anything. 

"It'll be alright, Allie. We'll make sure of it. We'll do as we always do, we'll get through it together. Things have a way of working themselves out. We'll get up there, we'll find Dad and we'll bring him home. That's all that matters, that's all we need. Everything else is fixable in time."

Scott looked up towards the lounge windows where the sound of Virgil's piano filtered down to them, along with the indistinct rumble of conversation. 

"We're a family, Dad's part of us, and we'll make sure that he knows that."


	33. Hoodie Wars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott's lost his hoodie...
> 
> Just Scott and Selene being Scott and Selene.

"Scott's lost his favourite hoodie," Virgil informed him, rather randomly John though, but who was he to argue the small talk his brother deemed necessary? Virgil stared at him, apparently waiting for a response. 

"How? He never wears it off base? It's got to be here somewhere."

"Oh, he knows exactly where it is."

"Then I'm confused, how is it lost? The definition of lost is that you are unaware of its location." How long had he been up there that lost now had a different meaning? Was it one of those times where the youth of today - God he suddenly felt extremely old at only twenty-seven - took a word and changed the meaning without informing those who still used a dictionary? 

"Your girl took a liking to it."

"Oh, I see." Ahh, now that made total sense. 

"Yup"

"He's never getting that back, it's gone forever, lost in the same void that consumed three of my T-shirts, one formal shirt, five pairs of socks, two hoodies and a pair of pyjama bottoms."

"Sucks to be you, bro."

"It's a small price to pay. Also, she has one of your lumberjack things," he waved vaguely in Virgil's direction, gesturing to the ever present plaid. 

"She does, which one?" Virgil groaned, please don't let it be a favourite. No one else might be able to tell which shirt was which, but he knew, dammit, he knew. 

"That purple and blue one that Grandma got you three Christmases ago."

"Oh, that's OK then, I never wear that one, it's a bit too girly."

"That's what Sel said, apparently she was helping you by liberating it."

"Your girl has a very unique idea of what is helpful."

John just nodded, well aware of that fact. 

"This means war, Tracy!" Selene's voice echoed through the villa. 

"What did you do this time?" Virgil asked him. 

"It could be any number of things, my transgressions are apparently many and varied, although I'm hardly ever aware of them myself," John shrugged, not looking the least bit concerned. 

Scott strutted into the lounge, now wearing said hoodie along with a smug smile. 

John exchanged a look with Virgil, who shrugged, he didn't know how that had happened either but it looked like John wasn't to blame for his girl's current mood. 

Peace descended over the lounge as Scott settled at their dad's desk, bringing up the holoscreen to check the news. 

John sighed, feeling that he needed to warn his big brother. 

"Scott?" 

"Hmm?" Scott didn't look up. 

"I feel I would be neglectful in my duty if I didn't warn you to watch your back. I don't know what you've done to piss off my witch but her retaliation is likely to be imminent."

"I'm very aware of that fact, but it's a matter of principle."

John sighed, if principles were involved then this was going to get a whole lot worse before it got better. He waited a whole two minutes before he, very subtly he thought, tossed his magazine on the coffee table and stood up, stretching casually. 

"I'm gonna head up to the office, call me if you need anything."

"Smooth, bro," Virgil laughed as John made a quick exit. 

Selene wasn't far behind, turning up in the lounge about five minutes after John had left. 

She scowled at Scott, who gave her a little sarcastic wave. The look she shot him spoke volumes, just you wait, this isn't over. 

***

"Oh for fucks sake!" Scott swore as he scrolled his holobook newsfeed. 

"What's up?" Gordon asked, surprised to hear his big brother swearing for no good reason. 

Scott turned his phone to show him the screen. Gordon looked but didn't see what the big deal was, it was just Selene, at a cafe with a couple of friends. 

"She was tagged into it by someone," Scott grumbled. 

"Was she not supposed to be there?" Gordon hedged.

"I don't care about where she is, it's about what she's wearing!" 

Gordon got up and walked over to take a closer look, then started to laugh. 

"She got yours too, huh?" 

" You mean she's raided your wardrobe too?" 

Gordon nodded. "Months ago, she took that WASP hoodie I got back in my training days."

"Why is she obsessed with our clothes? Shouldn't she just steal John's? Isn't that how it's supposed to work, not spill over to the whole family?" 

Gordon shrugged. "She brings them back eventually, she's taken mine three times, she calls it extended borrowing."

Scott groaned, having visions of never getting it back. He didn't have that many, living on a tropical island they didn't really stray into cool weather wardrobes that often, but that really had been his favourite. He'd bought it on a trip to Paris back in his Air Force days. Dark blue with grey panels on the sleeves, his two favourite colours, it was just right. Not too thick but also not too thin, just large enough to fit in comfortably but not so large that you couldn't tell that he was in pretty good shape underneath the material. It was soft, the softest he'd ever felt, not that he'd admit to preferring soft materials against his skin… the hood was just right, not too large that it obscured his vision while wearing it and but not too small that he felt like his head was being pulled backwards. In short, it was perfect. And that witch had stolen it. 

"Does she not have her own clothes?" 

"She does, but she often forgets to bring them and since it's generally pretty chilly in England she borrows them when she heads home."

"But why ours? Why not just John's? Since when were we all fair game?" 

Gordon flopped back down on the couch. "She just likes our stuff."

"I should have known you'd take her side, so much for sibling loyalty."

Gordon grinned, unrepentant. "She makes me my favourite sandwich, you make me edible food and you'll get my loyalty too."

***

Selene hadn't meant to stay out so late, but as her favourite saying went, shit happens. One afternoon coffee had turned into two, which had led onto drinks as the evening had worn on. Two drinks had become three and two burgers on the way home, one of which she had sent up to Five courtesy of EOS. 

She didn't wake up too bright or breezy, she would rise but she refused to shine, and was still feeling a little fuzzy headed, which probably explained why she didn't notice until an hour after she had woken up. 

She could have sworn she had tossed that hoodie on the sofa when she'd gotten home, but it had most definitely vanished. She told herself she was just being silly, but the distinct lack of orange juice in her fridge and the bites taken out of every muffin was a dead give away. 

***

"Scott, are you aware that you have makeup on your collar?" Kayo asked. 

Scott just grunted, rubbing at the offending foundation stains, the scent of vanilla floating up from the garment every time he moved. 

"Is there something we should know?" 

"Nope." 

Kayo looked at Virgil who just grinned. 

***

Selene accepted the latte from Alan with a smile of thanks, not moving from her spot on the couch, a bag of rune stones on her lap. She'd been gone for two days and, as was her custom now, had appeared without any warning half an hour before. Scott had no idea what was going on with the women of the house and why they felt the need to just magic themselves into being whenever the mood took them, but he was used to it now. Kayo had always been the same, you could enter a room and not know she was there for ten minutes before you spotted her lounging in a corner. 

Selene was less the silent ninja type and more the burst into a room singing, announcing her presence with a loud "didya miss me?" making them all jump. 

Alan gave Kayo her green tea and placed Scott's to-go cup of black coffee on the desk in front of him. Scott only drank from insulated cups because he was forever forgetting about his drink and going back to it once it was stone cold. 

Alan settled down beside Selene, helping himself to a couple of her runes from the bag, studying them for a second and then handing them to her for interpretation. 

"Ansuz, Odin's rune. Odin is the all father, the patriarch of the norse Pantheon, father to Thor, Loki, Balder and Hel. One of the lessons of this rune states that you should find your ears before you find your words."

Scott snorted at that and picked up his cup to take a sip. 

"This stone symbolises authority, communication and-" 

"Shit!" 

All three of them span round to look at Scott, who was wiping coffee off his chin and glaring as it dripped down onto his hoodie. 

"Damn, I'm sorry, was the lid not on properly? I'm so sorry, Scott."

"You'd better get that in the wash before the stain sets," Kayo advised. Alan and Scott both stared at her in disbelief. "What? I can't know about laundry?" 

Scott growled in frustration, peeling off his hoodie as he headed to the laundry room. 

The second he was out of sight Selene high five Alan and dug in her bag, pulling out two massive bars of chocolate she gave him one and tossed the over to Kayo, who caught it neatly. 

"Nice doing business with you," Kayo grinned, breaking open the bar. 

Selene opened her mouth to reply but heard Scott's footsteps coming down the hall and shut up. 

***  
"Where the fuck has it gone now?" Scott searched through the dryer for the third time but no, it really had vanished. 

"Selene!" 

No answer. He tried again, louder this time. 

"SELENE?"

Nothing.

Stomping down to the hangers he checked if her car was in her spot. Yep, there it was, which meant she had to be on the Island somewhere. 

***

John floated peacefully on his back, one hand behind his head the other tangled in her hair as he toyed with the soft strands. 

"He's going to figure out you're up here sooner or later."

Selene lifted her head from where it rested on his stomach to glance at the silent comm line. 

"Yeah, probably, " she lowered her head again, sighing contentedly. 

As if summoned by their words Scott's hologram flared into life, appearing in front of them, shattering the peace. 

"Bring it back, right now."

"Bring what back?" Selene blinked innocently. 

"You know what. Bring it back or I'm coming up there after it."

"I don't think so."

"EOS, lower the space elevator."

John glanced up as EOS's mechanical eye moved closer. 

"I'm sorry, Scott, but the elevator is currently undergoing it's twice monthly cleaning of the filtration system, which takes two hours to complete."

Scott's eyebrow rose, clearly not believing her. 

"Fine, I'll bring Three."

"Alan is currently on the other side of Jupiter picking up that stranded salvage crew," John reminded him. 

Scott huffed impatiently. "Selene, you have two hours to get back down here with my hoodie or there will be retaliation."

"I know not of which you speak."

"You're wearing it right now!" 

"I am?" she glanced down at the hoodie she was currently snuggled in. "This old thing? Surely you don't want this? It's a little small for you now, don't you think? You've gotten a little wider around the midsection lately…" 

"OK, you've asked for it!" Scott clicked off the call, his hologram vanishing. 

"You're pure evil," John grinned, his fingers lightly caressing the back of her neck. "I do wish you wouldn't encourage my AI to lie though, that's not good for her."

"I'm shocked and appalled that you think I'd make my darling daughter lie!" 

"How is it that she's only your darling daughter when she's listening to you, when she's not, she's mine?"

"Because that's the way it works, same as Armie is Virgil's whenever he pukes on the floor," she wrapped her arm around his middle, cuddling closer. "Anyway, she wasn't lying, the elevator is undergoing it's filter cleaning, it just so happens that she started it as soon as I docked."

John reached out to the wall of the comms sphere, touching one of the panels, bringing up the log. 

"Which was one hour and forty-eight minutes ago."

"Yep, so technically she was telling the truth, she said it was cleaning and it takes two hours, she didn't say there was two hours left."

"So you're encouraging her to be sneaky?" 

Selene gave him a look. "Like she needs any encouragement."

"True."

"But I did bribe her too."

"How? What with?" 

"My granddad's old dvd collection of documentaries that aren't online yet."

"You're such a good mom."

"Don't tell anyone, especially not Grandma," she warned, lifting her head for a kiss. 

Beep! 

Scott's hologram popped back up. She glanced over John's shoulder, her mouth dropping open in shock. 

***

"Scott Tracy! Get your arse here right now!" Selene jumped out of the elevator and raced up to the main house. 

"I swear by Hades if you've stretched that out with your big, fat man chest, I will kill you!" 

"Fat man chest?" Kayo looked at Virgil, who shrugged in response, he'd given up trying to figure out what was going on days ago. 

Selene skidded into the kitchen. "Where is he? Where the fuck is your dickhead brother?" 

"Lounge I think. Why, what's he done now?" 

"You haven't seen him in the last half hour?" 

"No, I've not seen him since breakfast, I was working on Two."

"Urghhhh, you're about to be down one brother," she turned and stomped her way up the stairs, Kayo and Virgil hurrying to catch up. 

Scott heard her coming and assumed a casual pose. 

"Oh my gods! What's wrong with you?" 

She slapped her hands over her eyes, trying so hard not to laugh. 

"My eyes!" Virgil wailed, doubling over, a gagging noise escaping. 

"Kinky, I like it," Kayo commented. 

Scott lifted one hand in triumph, gesturing to his chest, a chest that he has somehow managed to squeeze into her favourite corset, although the laces were stretched to breaking point and they could all see his nipples and the dark sprinkling of hair that peppered his pecs. 

"You're such a child!" 

"Say's the woman who stole my clothes first!"

"Say's the man who broke into my apartment to steal it back and took a bite out of all my muffins!" 

"Say's the woman who left the planet with my hoodie!" 

"Your nipples are looking at me funny!" 

"That's because this corset is making them itch!" 

She couldn't help it and burst out laughing. 

"You're such a twat! You realise you're wearing that backwards?" 

"And you're a sneaky bitch," he laughed. "And yes, I'm aware, but it was the only way I could get it on." 

"Truce?" She took off the hoodie and offered it to him. 

"Truce," he took the hoodie and turned around so she could unhook the corset, sighing in relief as it loosened , allowing him to take a deep breath, his lungs finally expanding to their full capacity. 

"I fucking adore you, you idiot," she laughed, hugging him from behind. 

"Yeah, I love you too."

"What the fuck just happened here?" Kayo demanded to know. "You just gave in, just like that? Sel, you disappoint me, I expected better from you." 

"He was holding my corset to ransom, what was I supposed to do?" 

"Duh, hold him down, cut him out of it and smack him around the head."

"So violent! He's my best friend, you don't beat up your friends!" 

"I do."

"But you're special," Selene fluttered her eyelashes at Kayo, who simply shook her head and walked away muttering something about living with lunatics. 

***

"Erm, John?" 

"Yes, Alan? What's up?" 

"You might want to come down here…"

"Did they kill each other yet?" 

"Not quite, but they are both out by the pool, listening to some really old music, something about the dark side of the moon and they have definitely been smoking something."

John sighed, casting his eyes up through the clear ceiling of the gravity ring as if praying for divine help. 

"I'll be right down."

Less than ten minutes later and John was standing over two of the most important people in his life and wondering just what the hell he'd done to deserve them. 

His girl was stretched out on a sun lounger, fast asleep, Scotts hoodie over her like a blanket. His bare chested brother was on another next to her, a phone between them on the floor- purple so it had to be Selene's - was softly playing Pink Floyd, clouds of fragrant smoke wafting around his head 

Scott looked up as the sound of approaching footsteps. John sat down on the edge of another lounger, shaking his head when Scott offered him the hand rolled. 

"You know it hasn't been illegal for twenty-five years, you don't have to look so disapproving, you know it's safe now all the dangerous strains have been eradicated. This is the one that Dr Favaro recommended to Gordon when he had his crash and my back has been hurting the last few days. Come on, live a little, no hangover…" he wiggled it in invitation. 

Rolling his eyes John accepted the rollie and swung his legs up to recline fully on the lounger. 

"We haven't done this in years," he inhaled deeply, coughed briefly then passed it back. 

"Not since you graduated and we started with IR full time, Dad would never allow it and I guess since he's been gone we've all just continued to live the way he'd want us to."

John nodded, reaching over for the hand rolled. "If Selene's done anything she's encouraged us both to let go of our rigid control a bit."

"That she has."

They were both silent for a few minutes apart from Scott quietly humming along to the music. 

"This is going to sound bad…" Scott began, not looking at him. 

John waited patiently for his brother to continue. 

"You know I want Dad back so much." It wasn't a question, it was a statement and John nodded. 

"Of course I do, I never doubted that."

"But I don't want things to go back to the way they were before, we've all grown up, we've become our own people and we're used to making our own decisions. I don't want to have to go back to hiding in my room to drink a beer or not be able to enjoy a smoke after a long and painful day. Does that make sense?"

To say John was surprised that his usually private brother had decided to open up to him was an understatement, but he didn't let that show. 

"I don't want that either. I guess we'll just have to take things one day at a time and work it out as we go," he took another toke and suddenly laughed. 

"What's so funny?" 

"I was just imagining Selene bulldozing Dad like she does us."

Scott's deep chuckled turned into a full out belly laugh as he pictured it. 

"Well one thing's for sure, with her here there's no way things can go back to how they were before, she won't let it. And I don't even think Dad could argue with her when she's got her mind made up about something."

"He's either going to hate her or absolutely adore her," John handed the last inch back to Scott. 

Scott smiled fondly at the sleeping witch. "He'll love her as much as we do, he won't be able to help it."

"I should get her to bed, it's getting chilly," John stood up and crossed over to his girl. Carefully he worked his arms under her and lifted her slowly. 

"You want this back?" he nodded to Scott's hoodie. 

"No, I don't mind her borrowing it, she does it all the time."

One sleek eyebrow lifted. "Then why make such a fuss over it?" 

Scott stubbed out the end and laid back down, arms behind his head. "Because it was fun, she's my best friend, it's what we do. Don't you remember last week when I used her fancy hair conditioner? She yelled for an hour then I came back from that rescue in Peru and she'd put a brand new bottle in my bathroom cupboard."

"You're both idiots." 

"But you love us."

"Yeah, I do." John paused for a second, trying to remember when he'd last told any of his brothers that he loved them. Months maybe, possibly even a year or more? He couldn't actually remember. He just never felt the need to say it, he showed it in so many ways, they all did. But maybe it was time to start reminding them. He hugged her closer to his chest, giving her a little squeeze, smiling when she grumbled in her sleep and batted at his shoulder. 

"She told me earlier that she steals our stuff depending on who's energy she needs that day. If she's in a fun mood she'll steal Gordon's or Alan's, if she needs to relax she'll wear something of Virgil's."

"I did not know that," John glanced down at her face, relaxed in sleep. "What does she need you for?" 

"Strength."

John nodded, not knowing what else to say. Finally he settled for not saying anything at all. 

"You coming in too?" he asked Scott. 

"Not just yet, it's nice out here."

"OK, goodnight." 

"Goodnight, John."

John paused as he neared the door and turned back. "Scott?" 

"Hmm?" 

"I love you."

Scott didn't turn to look at him but his voice was his usual strong and sure tone. 

"I love you too."


	34. Never Say Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't let goodbye be the last thing you ever say.

John's fingers lazily travelled the length of Selene's arm in a soft caress, from shoulder to wrist, just enjoying the silky feel of her skin for what could potentially be the last time. 

He sighed, looking down at the woman snuggled against his side, tucked in under his arm, her head pillowed on his chest as naturally as if she'd been there forever, like she belonged there. God, the thought of not seeing her again was one too horrible to even consider, but considering it he was. He wouldn't be himself if he didn't. 

None of them knew what the morning would bring, what they would find out there in the Oort cloud, if they would even find their father let alone bring him safely home. The possibilities were many and varied and hardly any of them were good. This would be their most dangerous mission yet and he had felt the need to put certain precautions in place. 

As if sensing the direction his mind had taken her arm tightened around his waist and she shifted restlessly. Typical of her, she couldn't even let him have his thoughts to himself, not that he minded. 

Selene had given him the final choice over how they would spend the evening, and while he'd felt a touch of guilt that he wasn't on the island with his brothers, he knew that he needed the calm quiet of her and the apartment rather than the noisy chaos of the villa. 

He could picture it, Scott stomping around in full on worry mode, Virgil trying to calm him, Gordon just making things worse and Alan bouncing like an excited puppy. He loved his family but more often than not they were very hard to handle. Selene was good at bridging the gap and acting as a buffer but even she had given up on them the past week. 

No, the idea of spending the night fielding questions and brothers could not compare to a night on the couch with a take out, a movie and his woman. 

They had tried to put the upcoming event out of their minds as best they could, but as was often the case they had ended up talking things through. Selene, being Selene, had refused to even consider the possibility that anything would go wrong, her blind faith in them all was loyal and commendable, if not a little misguided. 

He'd had to try very hard not to get frustrated with her because of it, she could be a dreamer, relying on faith and hope and the belief in the magic of fate, whereas he was more of a realist and felt that such things needed to be talked about, planned for and accepted as part of the job. 

They had all come to terms with the fact that their lives with International Rescue would never be easy or safe, there were no guarantees and he preferred to go into things with his eyes open. Selene on the other hand had not found that mindset yet, she hadn't been with them long enough for that, and that meant she was often more dismissive of even the thought of tragedy striking. He was not, he was nervous, something that he rarely felt even in their line of work. 

Usually they were thrown in at the deep end and flying by the seat of their pants, making it up as they went along, giving them no time to overthink things. This time was different, months of planning had led up to this one moment and that meant that he'd had months to ponder over every single tiny aspect. It didn't help that he was often alone for long periods as he wasn't as actively involved with the building of the craft. His area of expertise had been in the programming of the systems, the plotting of the course, the amalgamation of Five and EOS with the on board system of the Zero-XL, all of which had been easier done from him space station while Brains, The Mechanic and Virgil had toiled away back at base. 

John was someone that liked to feel secure in his knowledge, to know that every eventuality had been planned for, every base covered and he'd done his best to do that, both professionally and personally. Being so alone had also given him time to put plans for his personal life in motion away from International Rescue and the family business, giving him the peace of mind that he needed. 

Unfortunately that didn't stop the nagging anxiety that was eating away at him, poking at him when he least expected it and it was pissing him off, it wasn't something he was used to experiencing. In the middle of his morning shower it was there, during his scheduled breaks that Selene insisted on and had programmed into EOS, even in his dreams. 

He didn't dream often, or if he did he didn't recall them by the time EOS woke him, but the past month there had been a marked increase in nightmares, usually culminating in him jolting awake, bathed in sweat, his heart racing and a concerned EOS peppering him with questions. 

Disturbing images haunted him, his subconscious mocking him when he could do nothing to stop it. He saw the Zero-XL exploding as they had thought the original had, he saw his dad, or more accurately what was left of him, decaying in the battered remains of the Zero-X cockpit. Most disturbing of all was when he saw his Grandmother receiving the news that, not only that she'd lost her son all over again, but her grandsons too, her entire blood family wiped out in an instant. He recalled the look on her face when they had received the news of the Zero-X explosion, and the thought of her going through that again, times five, was horrifying. 

And then there was Selene, doing what she always did, being strong and an emotional crutch for everyone else, while silently dealing with her own grief and heartbreak. The image of her breaking down as soon as she was alone was just too real to ignore. 

She didn't just love him, she loved them all, she wouldn't just lose her future husband, she'd lose her best friends and her younger siblings. He knew his Grandma, Penelope and Parker would never abandon her, they would all be there for her, but they would have lost just as much, especially with the blooming relationship between Gordon and Penny. It was just too horrendous to contemplate but something he couldn't get out of his head. 

They were both physically sated and mentally exhausted and Selene had quickly fallen asleep, snoring lightly in his ear. How he wished he could do the same. He'd been studying her face for the last two hours, committing every single detail to memory, so that when he closed his eyes she was there, a full colour picture in his mind.

He glanced at the clock on the bedside table, seeing that the numbers hadn't changed much since the last time he'd looked, there was only two hours before dawn when he was due to leave and head up to Five to prepare for the rendezvous with the Zero-XL. 

It was no good, he was far too restless, far too unlikely to fall asleep and if he did it would just make it harder to get up when the alarm went off. There was plenty of work he could be doing that would keep his mind occupied and take it away from the thought of never seeing her again. 

They had a tradition in International Rescue, one that Scott had brought with him from his Air Force days, they never said goodbye, just variants of "see ya later, bye for now, catch you on the flip side, see you back at base," anything but goodbye. It was too real. 

God, he didn't want to say goodbye to her, he never wanted to say those words, because there was a finality in that, an admittance that it might potentially be forever. She wasn't going anywhere but he was and he didn't want her last moments with him to be an emotional farewell. He'd call her before they left, wish her luck with her first day working with the GDF and force out a cheerful 'see you soon' because that's what they both needed to hear. 

Mind made up he slowly, carefully, extracted himself from her embrace, deftly tucking his pillow into her arms for her to cuddle. She looked so sweet and innocent with her nose buried in the pillow, her hair obscuring her face. Unable to resist he gently stroked the hair back, smoothing it out and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. He didn't want that to be their last kiss, but he hadn't been able to leave without one. 

He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a sheaf of papers, placing them lightly on her bedside table. At least now he knew that, should the worst happen, she'd be taken care of. He'd been planning on giving them to her earlier in the evening but as usual she had succeeded in distracting him, of turning the conversation in a more pleasant, less maudlin direction and he hadn't had the heart to press the issue. Besides, she'd probably yell at him and tell him he was being stupid and maybe he was. 

Taking his clothes with him he crossed over to the door, pausing to take one last look at the love of his life. His brothers were all saying that this mission was going to be the hardest thing they would ever have to face, but they weren't the ones leaving their heart behind on earth. 

"I love you," he whispered, hoping that somehow, somewhere deep in her dreams, she had heard him. 

He shut the door behind him and let himself out onto her roof where Five's elevator was waiting for him. 

***

A loud crack of thunder shook the building, jerking Selene awake. Grumbling in annoyance she tightened her arm around John, already halfway asleep again. Huh…he was unusually squishy. She opened her eyes to a face full of pillow rather than the delectable muscles she was used to. 

"Babe?" 

No answer. She'd gotten used to him getting up in the middle of the night, unable to sleep, his sleep pattern almost non existent most days, but he always, always answered her if he was there and hadn't vanished to spend time with his other love high in the sky. 

"John!" She sat up in bed, her heart pounding, something didn't feel right. Reaching over she switched on the bedside lamp and reached for her comm to call him. 

"The fuck is this?" distracted she picked up the neatly stapled papers, the front one bearing nothing but her name and a series of numbers, 210662. Frowning she flipped over to the next page. 

"Deed of sale? Property?" there was her address as plain as day, the signatures below both John's, her landlady's and someone she didn't recognise. 

"Oh no he fucking didn't."

She grabbed her comm out of her bedside drawer. 

"John?" 

No reply. 

"John, Don't you dare ignore me."

The comm beeped but remained silent. Was it broken? 

"EOS?" 

"Yes, Selene?" 

Selene sighed in relief, the sweetly childlike voice a comfort. 

"Can you put me through to John?" 

"No, John has blocked all incoming calls for the next hour."

"What? Don't be silly, he'll talk to me."

"He has blocked all incoming calls."

"Well override it!" 

"I can't, he has locked me out." 

Selene growled under her breath, glancing at the papers again, noticing the numbers. 

"EOS, what is 210662?" 

The AI was silent for a few seconds. 

"There is a video file that matches that number, it is labelled 'end of the road'."

Selene's heart dropped. 

"Please play it."

"John has labeled it private and I will not break his trust."

Selene sighed, trying to not let her impatience show or to take her frustrations out on the AI. "Baby girl, it's important that I see that file, I need to know what's in it, I need to help him." 

"I cannot."

"EOS, if you can but don't want to I understand, but you need to trust me on this. Remember when John told you that sometimes things aren't so black and white, how sometimes humans make mistakes due to their emotions and fears?" 

"Yes."

"I think this is one of those times. I need to see that file, please."

Again EOS went quiet, obviously thinking before she spoke. 

"One moment please."

Selene held her breath. 

John's hologram popped out of her comm, his eyes focused on what must be a camera in front of him, his voice his usual cool and calm tone, but that did little to ease her worries. 

"This is the last will and testament of John Glenn Ray Tracy of International Rescue and if you are watching this it means that something, somewhere went very wrong…"

"EOS! Get the elevator down here, right now! Don't argue, just do it!" 

Something in her tone must have scared even the unflappable AI. 

"Lowering now."

The video still playing, Selene dragged on his dressing gown that he'd left draped over a chair and raced for the door, not even bothering to lock it. She slammed her hand down on the keypad to the roof and sprinted up the stairs. 

The rain was hammering down outside and she was soaked in seconds, not that she gave a fuck. The elevator seemed to take forever although she knew it was only eight minutes. The dark sky lit up in rhythmic pulses as the storm raged overhead, seeming to match her mood. 

She watched the video back twice while waiting, the image rippling and distorting, battered by the rain and another three times in the elevator. Each time was worse than the last, his words drilling themselves into her brain. 

"Where?" 

"I do not understand." 

"Where is he, EOS?" 

"John is in his bedroom."

The elevator docked and as soon as the door opened she took off running. 

"John!"

***

He stood up the second she burst through the door, his shock at seeing her there evident on his face. She was soaked through, her hair plastered to her head, hanging limply around her face. His dressing gown was stuck to her skin, giving him a clear view of every part of her.

Why was she even awake? Selene could sleep for England and they had both been tired the night before. She had a long day coming up, just as he did and she needed her rest. 

He'd finished all he could do in preparation and had been taking a quiet few minutes on his bunk, watching the world below. There was a comfort in knowing that whatever happened the earth would keep spinning as it had for millions of years, those on it would be safe and life would continue with or without them. That was one thing about the human race you could always count on, they were survivors, they would continue to grow, to live, to simply be. 

He felt calmer now, more in control, knowing he had done all he could to prepare for every eventuality and now there she was, as always, bursting into his carefully organised existence and shaking things up. 

She looked awful, her eyes wide, her face pale, breathing ragged as if she'd run a marathon. What the hell had happened in the hour he'd been gone? Had something gone wrong? Someone been hurt? Was she hurt?

Automatically he reached for her, offering her comfort and shelter in his embrace. Wanting, no, needing, to fix things and make them better as she so often did for them. 

***

She wondered if he would turn her away, make her leave or worse, but he immediately opened his arms. She threw herself into them, clinging to him, tears already leaking their way down her face. His arms wrapped around her, crushing her against his chest as her lips found his in a desperate, heartbreaking kiss. 

She sank into his embrace, melting at each touch of his lips, her fingers tunnelling into his hair to keep him close. 

He held her freezing body in his arms, feeling her shivering as if it were his own. She was soaked to the bone, her skin icy cold, the dampness soaking through his suit. What had she been thinking? 

He broke the kiss, resting his forehead against hers, his breathing slightly ragged. 

"What are you doing here? Are you OK? Did something happen?" 

"What am I doing here? Yes something happened, I woke up and you were gone. Now tell me what the hell you were thinking? How could you leave like that?" 

"I didn't want to say goodbye, it's tradition."

She frowned, confused? "Goodbye? You'll be back in a day or two. And that doesn't explain the paperwork or that video." 

Video? EOS. She had obviously caved and showed Selene the file that contained his will. He hadn't expected Selene to jump straight into asking EOS what it was, in fact he hadn't expected this from her at all. He'd thought she'd wake up with her alarm and he'd accept her call a minute later, soothe her ruffled feathers at him being slightly high handed in the purchasing of her apartment and she'd forgive him as soon as he explained. 

His arms dropped as he stepped back, needing to put some distance between them, he couldn't think when she was so close. He grabbed his blanket and draped it around her shoulders, rubbing at her chilled arms. She growled in frustration, jerking away and tossing the blanket to the floor. 

"Don't try to distract me, answer the damn question. You bought my home and you left a gods damned will! John, what the fuck?"

He sank back down onto the edge of his bed, his fingers raking through his hair. He should have known she would react like this, he was stupid to think otherwise, to expect her to act like a rationalthuman being. She never saw things the same way he did. It was one of the few things that managed to annoy him about her and one of the most frequent things they argued about. 

"I wanted to make sure you would be OK. Some people buy their partners jewellery, I went with concrete and steel."

She folded her arms, glaring at him. 

How could she not see that he was merely doing the sensible thing? It was something they would have had to discuss eventually, he'd just sped along the process and missed out the discussion part. He hadn't known she'd react this badly, angry, yes, shouting, definitely, but looking so desperately scared? Not his Selene. 

"I know how much you love that apartment, so I figured that if everything went well you'd save some money on rent and we'd still have our little home away from home, and if it didn't then you'd at least have that."

She continued to glare, one foot tapping, a sure sign that she was very angry and trying not to kill someone, namely him. 

Maybe she hadn't been so immune to the same worries he had? Just because she didn't voice them didn't mean they weren't there. 

"We aren't married yet, so you'd have no claim to anything of mine, so I wanted to make sure that you would be provided for."

"Do you honestly think I care about any of that? All I care about is you. You're my home, you're my world, that's all I need," she exploded. 

He looked up then, and she saw an echo of fear in his eyes that mirrored her own, although he kept it carefully hidden behind what she always referred to as his work mask. 

"But what if I'm not there anymore? Maybe not this time, but another. You'll need looking after, you and Grandma. Scott has things put in place for her, but I wasn't sure if he had updated anything to include you, I wanted to make sure." 

"There's not even a need to discuss this. You can't think that way."

"Yes, there is. This is a very serious situation, one that we do not have complete control over. We have no idea what we're going to find out there. Much as I would love to be able to just ignore things the way you do-"

"You think I ignore things? That I cant be serious or fully grasp the concept that you are literally flying out of the fucking galaxy with your entire family and that I'm not there with you?" 

"I didn't mean that-" 

"Do you honestly think that I wouldn't rather be there? That I wouldn't rather know exactly what was happening to you, to actually have a fucking clue what happened to you if you didn't come back? Do you think I want to be stuck here not knowing? Not having any fucking idea if you're alive or dead? Fuck that shit! I can be serious, but I prefer to not be, because that makes shit easier and means I can get through my days without constantly needing to be by your side."

John got to his feet in a burst of movement, too angry to stay seated. For someone who was usually so good at judging his moods, of understanding his ways and his motivation for the things he did, she was doing a pretty poor job of it at that moment. 

"That's exactly my point! I wouldn't know either! I wouldn't know if you are alright, if you're looked after and taken care of. I wanted that surety, I needed that surety. I needed to know that you were safe, that's why I won't let you come!" How could she not understand his point? 

"So you get your way, you get to just skip the fucking planet and know that everything, including me, is wrapped up in a neat and orderly little package? Newsflash, babe, life can't always be organised and planned." 

"Do you think I don't know that? We deal with disasters on an almost daily basis that never go according to plan. I just needed to be able to focus on the tasks at hand without worrying about you!" 

"I don't need you to worry about me! I was perfectly fine and dandy without your input into my life for the last twenty-eight years and I can do it again!" 

"I wanted to make it easier!" 

"For who? Me or you?" she poked at his chest with an accusatory finger. "Who was all this really for? I'll tell you, its for you, not me. Because all I need to focus on is the fact that you are going to get your arse back here and drag your dad with you, no doubt he's as stubborn and annoying as you, and then you'll shut the fuck up, kiss me and stop trying organise my entire widowhood!"

"You won't have a widowhood because you haven't actually married me! That's my point! Legally you'd have nothing!" 

"You know it's not been the right time for that, we've all been way too busy."

"Oh, well I'm sorry if finding the time to marry me is too much trouble!" 

"Too much trouble? I'm the one that just had to block eight wedding dress company newsletters that your Grandma signed me up for! We both agreed, we wait until your dad's home."

"And what if we don't find him? Or if we don't even make it back ourselves? Then you're back to having nothing!" he dropped back down onto his bunk, his head dropping into his hands, suddenly so tired of arguing. He was leaving in less than seven hours, she was due at the GDF in two and she was currently soaking wet in nothing but his ugly thin silk dressing gown and intent on driving him insane. 

Watching the fight go out of her man was scary, but that's exactly how it had felt to her. Seeing the proof of his worry that he might not survive had shaken her to the core. She didn't want to argue with him, she didn't want to let him go with anger, hurt and misunderstandings between them. 

She dropped to her knees, all anger draining away in a split second and took his hands in hers.

"Baby, you're coming back to me, that's all there is to know. You're coming home, we're getting married, your Grandma is not baking the cake-" 

He shook his head. "You can't know that, logically-" 

"Fuck logic, this is about faith and belief. My faith in all of you, my belief in us. We're a team, there's no me without you, you're it for me." She needed to prove it to him, prove to him that everything would be OK, that she believed in him, that she was right there by his side even if he was far away. 

"Faith isn't everyth- what are you doing?" 

Selene had dropped his hands to tug at the dressing gown. She peeled it off, removed the belt and tossed the soaking gown aside, uncaring as to the fact she was now naked. She made a loop out of the belt, with a slip knot, something she'd obviously learned from Scott and held it up. 

"Give me your hand."

"Why? We don't have time to waste right now." 

"Your hand, give it to me," she repeated refusing to take no for an answer. 

He held out his hand, completely bemused. 

"It's totally the wrong time of year, the wrong moon phase, the wrong fucking cords and the wrong fucking place, but it's the right us, and that's all that matters right now. We'll do it properly soon, but this is just for us, our bond."

She placed her hand on top of his, linking their fingers and slipped the loop over their joined hands, pulling it tight. 

"You cannot possess me, for I belong to myself, but while we both wish it, for a year and a day, I give you what is mine to give. You cannot command me, for I am a free person, but I am also yours."

"Selene, what are you doing?" She was the one tying him up, how was that possessing her?

"A very improvised and unofficial handfasting, now shut up and listen."

She wrapped the cord around their hands once.

"I pledge my vow on bended knees that it will be your eyes into which I smile every morning, I pledge to you my living and my dying, each equally in your care. I shall be a shield for your back as you will be for mine."

She wrapped the end of the belt around their hands again. 

"Our destinies are aligned, we shall walk our path together in both sunshine and rain. We will celebrate the joy that true love brings, we will face adversity together and find strength in this union, for we know that we are blessed."

A small smile twitched at the corners of his mouth, amused by the irony of the situation, the fact that it had taken the potential of them all being lost to space to get her to actually make a step towards marrying him. He knew it wasn't official, it wasn't even a proper ceremony for her belief system, but she was right, they needed this, he needed to share a little of her faith. 

"Your turn."

He hadn't prepared for this, but it was so like her to spring it on him. I didn't know the words he was supposed to say as they had planned on writing their own vows. He didn't know what to say, so simply spoke from the heart. 

"All I can give is my love, my time, attention, trust, honesty and devotion. I promise to always be true to you."

She managed one more wrap of the belt.

"I love you, and to you I offer my sacred vow, to honour and love you for a year and a day. Do you accept my vow?" 

"Just a year and a day?" He'd done his research, he knew how handfasting worked, you could pick a year and a day and renew each year or dissolve the relationship, you could choose as long as love lasts or this life and the next. 

"It means you have to come back to me so we can do it properly and make it for all time. Plus that way no one bitches that they missed out on anything, we are never telling them about this, just FYI, because I will force Kayo into a bridesmaid's dress if it's the last thing I do. I'm giving you my heart, here and now. Will you take it?" 

God he loved this woman and all her crazy ways. He hadn't meant to upset her or imply that he had no intention of coming home, he'd do everything humanly possible to get back to her, he'd just had to make sure that she would be looked after, needing to give himself that peace of mind. 

"I will, I accept your vow and offer my own in return."

"Say it, promise me."

"I promise to come back and marry you properly because I love you."

"Do you have faith?" 

"I do."

"Good, or I'd have kicked your arse."

He started laughing then, using their joined hands to pull her up and onto his lap. 

"I didn't know what I was missing until you crashed into my life and rampaged around in my heart."

She snorted, she'd done no such thing, she was a demure, sweet little thing. 

"We'll do this legally very soon, and when we do, my father will be there to see it."

"Yes, he will." She kissed him softly. 

"I'm sorry for scaring you and for leaving like that. It wasn't intentional. I would have explained it to you before now, but you didn't give me a chance." 

She wrapped her free arm around his middle, leaning her head against his shoulder. 

"I know, and I know you didn't mean to upset me, you were just being your usual, organised self, I should have realised that, but I panicked, it seemed like you'd given up, that you knew something I didn't. I guess, seeing that, it just made it a bit too real. I didn't want to give in to my own worries that you wouldn't make it back."

"I promise you, I'm coming home."

"I know you are, and I promise I'll be right there waiting for you."

They lapsed into silence for a few minutes, content to just hold each other before Selene felt the need to speak. 

"What were you doing before I got here?" 

He shifted her weight further onto his lap, then pointed down at the clear floor below their feet. 

She followed his finger, her eyes widening at the sight. There below them hung the now familiar sight of the earth, the pinpricks of light from a million buildings creating a glittering image in the darkness, but directly below where they sat she could see little flashes that she'd never witnessed before. They exploded in the air above the earth, lighting up the clouds, each lasting no longer than a few seconds but very much there. It looked like camera flashes, like the planet was being paparazzied and was striking a pose. 

"What is that?" 

"Lightning, I was watching the storm," he tugged gently on a wet strand of hair that clung to her neck. "Looks like it got you good."

"That it did."

"Grab that blanket or you'll freeze."

She leant over and caught the end of the blanket, pulling it closer. 

"I don't want to leave you yet."

"Then don't, not until you have to."


	35. Down on Earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Zero-XL has launched, but things are less than quiet on earth...

Nine in the morning found Selene home, dressed and on her way to the GDF offices in London, a large ten storey building with a number crafts on the helipads of the roof. After hearing of her work with Kayo they had reached out to recruit her on a freelance basis. All she was required to do was sit quietly in the corner of the interview room and watch. 

She was to sit in on the staff interviews, to act casual and play the part of a temporary secretary, making notes and looking up information. That was one good thing about dating the most elusive Tracy, no one knew you and you could blend in to the background. 

The GDF knew there was a mole within their organisation, someone who had been working with and feeding information to The Hood and his Chaos Crew. Kayo and Rigby had done their best to gather as much information as possible, but the rat had yet to be flushed out. That's where she came in as their human lie detector and super secret weapon. 

Leaving him had been hard, made more so by the fact that their conversation had brought home all the things she had been trying to ignore. She understood now why he had slipped away, because it would have been infinitely easier that way, a simple phone call to wish each other luck and a slightly snarky comment on her part for the fact that he had ditched her while she was sleeping and that would have been all.

Holding him tight, feeling his heart beating solid and reassuring in her ear, stealing endless kisses with the continued promise of 'ok, last one then you have to go' yet making no move to leave, that was torturous. She'd almost, automatically, said goodbye as he escorted her to the elevator but had caught herself in time, managing to keep it at one final kiss, a 'I love you' and 'see you soon'.

She'd broken down in the elevator as soon as it had started moving, sobbing as if her heart was breaking, because for her it was, she'd had to let him go when it was the last thing she'd ever wanted to do. She'd been trying to be brave for him, trying to keep up his, and all the boys, spirits, but that meant that there had been no one there for her. No one but EOS. 

Strangely enough it had been the AI that had been able to reassure her, who had popped up every time she had lost control, hidden herself away and let the tears flow. EOS, in her uncannily innocent way, had asked her straight out why she was leaking. That had startled a laugh out of her and she'd gone on to explain why she was doing so. It was therapeutic, cathartic even to cry and rant to a being that didn't understand why she was acting that way, and so didn't seek to comfort her or offer fake platitudes, she simply reeled off statistics in the same way John did and promised that she would be there beside him the entire time, her programming running alongside that of the Zero-XL. That had helped, because if there was anyone she trusted with John, besides his brothers, it was EOS. 

EOS had promised to keep her updated on the boys, and had already informed her that they had assembled the Zero-X without incident and were ready to launch when the time came. She knew that John wasn't with them as he was staying in Five until they met up to attach his bird to the mighty machine. 

She'd called each one in turn, Brains and Kayo first, who barely bothered speaking, so focused were they, but she wished them luck and told them she'd see them soon. Virgil and Gordon were next, just reminding them that she loved them and would see them soon. Scott and Alan were the hardest and she'd left them to last. To Scott she'd given words of comfort and faith, reminding him that he was amazing and that she loved him, reminding him that his Dad was out there and she had complete faith that he'd be back with them soon. She told him she'd see him when he got home and that she'd have a whisky ready for him. Alan, her baby, her little precious she'd listened to as he happily chatted away about how great it would be to see his Dad again and she'd reminded him that he was perfect and wonderful and more than good enough. She'd reminded him that she adored him, that he was incredibly loved and that Armie would be sleeping on his pillow until he got back. She'd promised to make him some brownies and said she'd see him very soon. It was all she could do for them now. 

Colonel Casey had someone meet her at the door to both check her ID and escort her through the maze of corridors and Selene had immediately slipped into her slightly ditzy, hippyish persona, chatting away to the rather bored looking Sargent about an imaginary girlfriend and their eight chinchillas and their ongoing feud with a neighbour, anything and everything to ensure that no one would ever want to talk to her again. Better to keep herself away from everyone there. 

She settled in the corner of what looked like a vaguely formal boardroom of sorts but one that had screens covering an entire wall which cycled through pictures of wanted criminals, dangerous items and other such things that she honestly wasn't paying attention to. 

She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm, to try to relax. She was there to do a job and knew that there was no way she could do it if she didn't. Working magic was about putting yourself in the right headspace, accessing that part of your mind that was often ignored and silenced by the more mundane thoughts and stresses of life. She had worked hard in training her mind to think beyond the mundane, had trained herself to see beyond the normal spectrum and open herself up to the energies and subtleties of the natural world around her. 

Everyone had energy centers in their bodies, most commonly known as Chakras, and these, when opened in sequence or individually, could give you a deeper awareness and allow you to tap into the natural power around you. She used her third eye the most, and it was that energy center that she focused on as she sent up the now familiar prayer, the same one she had been speaking daily for the last month as launch day had approached. 

"Hermes," she whispered under her breath, keeping her prayers as private as she could. "Wrap them in a cloak of protection and guide them in their quest, watch over them for me while they are on their journey. Let them find that which they seek and come back to me in one piece. Bestow upon them your blessings and protection, until they are home again." She poured every ounce of love she had for them into her prayers, let out all her worries and fears, laying them bare to the gods above, praying with every bit of strength she had in her heart and soul, finishing with a quiet blessed be. 

Unable to do any more, knowing that they and their mission was now in the hands of the gods, she blew a kiss to the heavens, bowed her head and closed her physical eyes. She took three deep breaths, in through her nose for the count of five and out through her mouth for the count of ten, forcing herself as best she could, to push everything out of her mind. She refused to allow herself to think about John and the rest of their family on the Zero-XL, refused to think about the endless ways in which things could go wrong, trying so hard to focus on the good that would come when they returned. 

She visualised an eye in the center of her forehead and saw it opening. She felt the shifting awareness, the subtle buzzing of the energetic atmosphere as she awakened her magic. She continued to breathe slowly and deeply until the door opened and Colonel Casey entered. 

Opening her eyes she greeted the older lady. They had never formally met, but had conversed via the holoscreen a few times, so Selene felt she knew her well enough to not be too nervous. 

Colonel Casey held out her hand but Selene politely declined, open as she was right now she would pick up on every little emotion if she were to touch anyone, and that she didn't need. Casey didn't take it personally, just nodded and as if someone telling you they would get the emotional equivalent of cooties was an everyday occurrence and took a seat. They passed a few pleasantries back and forth, the usual how are you, how have you been, polite conversation while Casey set up the interview timetable, but then she hit Selene out of left field. 

"Have you heard from them today? Is everything going according to plan?" she didn't look up from her tablet, her tongue hadn't changed, but her energy did. 

Once again Selene's heart squeezed as fear and worry pounded through her veins, but she managed to tamp it down and keep it under control. Unable to help it, her psychic sight already switched on, she noticed the way Casey's aura flickered, going from a deep red and a muddy blue. Red she would have expected, the colour of the base chakra and showing someone as a calm, grounded person, but the blue wasnt really surprising either. It indicated anxiety, radiating from the throat chakra it told of truths that hadn't been spoken and a fear of the future. She knew Casey had been close to Jeff in the past and had a deep affection for the boys and while Casey might sound casual in her question but her need for an answer was anything but. 

"I left John about two hours ago, and EOS just told me that everything is assembled and as ready as they would ever be, and that now they are waiting for the appointed time when the airspace will be clear for launch."

Casey nodded. "That's all I'd heard too. I guess all we can do is wait and get on with our jobs. Are you ready for the first person to be let in?" 

"Yep, bring it on, sooner we get done the sooner we can be there for when the boys get back."

Casey smiled. "Then let's do this."

The first interviewee led in was a man in his mid-forties, stocky in an overweight around the middle way. His hair was thinning on top and he had a crooked nose that Selene couldn't stop staring at. 

"James, thanks for coming in today. This is just an annual performance review and progress report to check in and make sure that you are doing your job to the best of your abilities. Don't worry about saying or doing the wrong thing, your job isn't at risk here, it's just a formality and to make sure you are getting the support you need."

James nodded, obviously trying to relax. His aura was tight to his body, but that could be down to nerves and stress, it didn't necessarily indicate deception. 

Casey chatted through some general questions and his aura relaxed a little, slowly spreading out from a vague line around his body to more than an inch and a half of light. 

Casey casually moved the conversation on and began to wrap it up. 

"OK, we're all done here, you can go."

"Thank you , ma'am," he got to his feet. 

"Did you see that latest rescue the International Rescue boys pulled off?" Casey asked casually, as if it were a throwaway comment, not even really a question. 

James stopped and Selene paid close attention. 

"I sure did, those are some fantastic machines they have there, I didn't think anyone was going to be able to get those miners out of that shaft in time."

Casey nodded. "They did a good job."

"That they did. My young son loves them, he carries his Thunderbird One around with him everywhere, even takes it to bed."

Selene pressed a button on her tablet, sending a little thumbs up emoji to Casey, he was telling the truth, there was no hint of guilt or deception there. 

"Your son has good taste. Would you mind asking Moira to show in the next person on your way out?" 

"Not at all, good day to you ma'am."

James shut the door behind him. 

***  
They were four interviews down and no closer to catching their rat when the door opened and Rigby stuck his head in. 

"There's been a problem with the -" 

Selene's comm beeped and she grabbed it. 

"What's happened?" Casey demanded to know. 

"The Chaos Crew appeared at the launch site and lived up to their name," Rigby informed them, his face pinched with worry. 

"Are the boys OK?" 

"I don't know, Kayo just called to tell me that she was staying behind to help, that's all I know."

"EOS? Status report, please." Please let them be alright, please let them be alright, Selene chanted under her breath. 

"The launch site was destroyed but the launch was successful."

Selene slumped back into her seat, her head dropping into her hands, her heart pounding in her chest. They were OK. 

"Do you feel able to continue?" Colonel Casey asked her gently. 

Selene nodded and Rigby ushered the next person in after promising to let them know if Kayo called back with any more information. 

Selene switched her comm to silent and they got back to work. 

It took only twenty minutes for her comm to vibrate with an incoming message. She turned away as the hologram popped up, displaying a text "Just connected, going to join them. I love you, I'll see you when I get back." 

She tapped the screen, bringing up the virtual keyboard and typed back. 

"I love you too, now go get your Dad, I'll be waiting right here with a burger and kisses." 

She tucked her comm away, catching the questioning look Colonel Casey sent her way. She nodded to let her know that everything was going as well as it could be. 

She and Casey worked their way through another five interviews and then called time, Selene needing a break, some food and to recharge a little. 

She accepted the sandwich and bottle of water she was offered and was escorted outside to sit on a bench in the office gardens, needing to touch base with nature and drain off some of the residual energy she had picked up throughout the interviews. 

It was nice outside, the sun was shining brightly although it was a chilly day so typical of England. She huddled deeper into her coat, wishing she was wearing something more comforting than a smart suit. She wanted one of John's T-shirts, Scott's hoodie, a stolen pair of Alan's sneakers, one of Kayo's hairbands, a borrowed bracelet from Gordon, a pretty rock from Virgil, she wanted to be surrounded by them and their things, to soak in their energy that created a perfect mixture of peace, reassurance and home to her. 

Instead she was in a suit that she rarely ever wore outside of a funeral and was now wishing that she had worn anything else but that, the irony of it not lost on her. She felt so alone, more so than she ever had done before she had been welcomed into that amazing family. Before she had met John she had been content on her own, happy in her life, but she hadn't known what she had been missing. 

The door slammed open behind her, Rigbg bursting through. 

"There's been a development, the Chaos Crew have surfaced, Tracy Island is on lock down, we're going now."

"I'm coming with you!" She was already on her feet and racing after him. 

"Selene, stop!" 

She screeched to a halt at Colonel Casey's command. 

"You can't come with us."

"What? Why? That's my family there! That's my home! I'm going."

"No you aren't. We are not taking a civilian into what is essentially a dangerous hostage situation. Even if I hadn't promised Scott that you'd be kept out of harm's way, I still wouldn't take you."

Selene glared, her chest heaving as she fought for control, fought to keep her clenched fists at her side.

"So I get no say in this at all?" 

"I'm sorry, but no." 

"I have rights, I'm here helping you, but I don't work for you."

"While you're under our protection that means I have all the rights. This is not up for debate." Casey turned on her heel, stomping down the corridor, yelling at the top of her lungs. "STAND BY, WE FLY IN TWO MINUTES!" 

"Rigby," Selene grabbed his arm as he passed, clutching in a death grip like a vice. "You have to do something, you can't let her do this! I'm not staying behind. I won't." 

Gently, but forcibly, he unpeeled her fingers from his arm. "I have my orders and I happen to agree with them. You stay here."

"No!" Selene wasn't a runner by nature, in fact she hated it, but fear and pure determination gave her the boost she needed to dodge around him and take off like lightning. The door wasn't that far, if they wouldn't take her themselves she'd get there under her own steam, she had her car parked in a neighbouring street, all she needed to do was get to it. All that mattered was getting home. 

Strong arms caught her from behind, hefting her up and holding her tight, seemingly oblivious to her kicking and screaming. Her fingers scrabbled at the walls, legs swinging back at the person holding her, trying to get a grip on something, anything as she was dragged back. 

"Selene, I'm sorry, but it's too dangerous." Rigby turned with her still anchored to his chest and passed her over to someone she had never seen before. "Lt Anderson, make sure she doesn't go anywhere, lock her up if you have to."

"What? I'm not your prisoner! You can't do this to me!" Her arms were locked behind her back, held in a firm but gentle grip, her struggles useless. 

"I'll keep an eye on her, sir, she won't come to any harm."

"We'll come for you as soon as we're back. We'll help them, I promise," his ruggedly handsome face showed the truth in his words, but much as she had liked him before she now hated him with the burning fire of a thousand suns. How dare they do this to her?

Selene's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I'm gonna make Kayo kick your arse so hard you'll be chewing on her boot leather for a week!" 

The sight of his retreating back was her only reply. She sagged, the fight leaving her as the sound of engines from the roof vibrated through the compound. They really had left her. Those fuckers! 

She didn't even realise she was crying until a tissue was passed to her, the arms holding hers behind her back loosening to allow her to stand on her own. 

She ignored the tissue, she didn't want anything from the scum that was helping to keep her prisoner. 

Her mind was spinning, trying desperately to formulate a plan. The boys wouldn't be back for hours, potentially even days, and realistically there was little she could do to help Kayo, Grandma and the others on the island, but that wouldn't stop her from going to them. She just had to bide her time. If she tried anything now they would be expecting it, she just needed to be patient. 

Being patient when your loved ones were in danger was easier said than done and the urge to cause more trouble was riding her hard. What if it was too late? What if they didn't get to the island in time. What if her boys got back to find their home completely destroyed? 

She slumped down the wall she was leaning against, needing to sit down, her legs struggling to hold her as the possibilities assaulted her brain. She covered her ears as if reacting physically would block out the screaming in her head, her chest heaving as she tried to breathe through the panic riding her. Tears poured fast and hot down her cheeks, dripping onto her front, leaving black watery marks on the crisp white of her blouse. Waterproof mascara her butt…an idea pinged in her head, instantly calming in its simplicity. 

She took some deep breaths, visibly trying to calm herself. 

"Are you alright, miss?" Lt Anderson asked cautiously, obviously not used to dealing with hysterical women in his line of work. 

She shook her head, not looking up at him, her forehead resting against her knees. 

"Can we get you a glass of water or something?" 

She lifted her head, careful to keep her eyes unfocused and blank. "There's a bottle in my bag." 

"Where's your bag, miss?" 

She glanced around, actually not sure herself. "I was sitting outside in the gardens when Rigby came…" she trailed off. "I'll go and get it now."

A firm hand came down on her shoulder, keeping her in place as Anderson reached for his radio and put out a call for assistance. Almost instantly a soldier in uniform appeared around a corner. 

"Private, go and find the young ladies bag, would you?" 

"Right away, sir!" she saluted and took off. 

The fuckers! She'd hoped they would be stupid enough to let her retrieve it herself so she could make a break for it, but they were obviously smarter than she ahd given them credit for. She quickly adjusted her plan as best she could, there would be a way out of there somewhere. 

Selene sat quietly, placidly while waiting for her bag, hopefully lulling them into a false sense of security. It didn't take long. She took it with a grateful smile and took a sip of her water. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make a scene or cause any trouble, I was just really worried."

"That's alright, miss. Something to do with these International Rescue folks are you then?" Anderson asked. 

Selene squinted up at him, her mind still fuzzy but rapidly rebooting and coming back online and along with it her psychic sight. Anderson looked honest enough, his aura a caring, calming pink colour, showing genuine concern rather than any underhanded reason for his question. 

"Something like that," she nodded, there was no point in denying it after her little show, but she still didn't want to give anything too much away. You never knew who was listening and they still hadn't found their mole. 

She dug a tissue out of her bag, wiped her eyes and blew her nose noisily. Squeaking in disgust at the amount of makeup on the tissue. 

"Gods, I must look such a mess. Can I go to the bathroom to fix this or am I still a prisoner?" 

Anderson thought about it for a few moments then nodded. "I can escort you to the bathroom so you can get yourself cleaned up, but no funny business."

"Wouldn't dream of it," she lied smoothly, hauling herself awkwardly to her feet. She allowed herself to be guided to a restroom with a hand on her arm. 

"I'll be right outside," Anderson reminded her, his tone was polite but still held a note of warning that she couldn't miss. 

She nodded and pushed open the door. She made use of the facilities because, shocked or not, held prisoner or not, she had still been sitting in a boardroom for four hours drinking endless cups of water and that took its toll on your bladder. She took her time washing her hands and face, creating as much noise as possible while her eyes roamed the spacious room, looking for a way out. The window was too high up, the walls outside a sheer drop she'd never make it down from and alarmed to boot. Maybe EOS could have opened them but…EOS! She turned on the hand dryer to cover her words and lifted her comm. 

"EOS?" 

Nothing. 

"EOS?" she tried again, but knew she wouldn't get an answer, she'd been warned that, once they reached deep space and entered the Oort cloud communications would likely be hindered, but that knowledge didn't make it any easier. She was truly on her own. 

She took a few moments to compose her thoughts and pull herself together, she was a witch, powerful in her own right and not without resources. She could do this. Time for plan B. 

Gathering her psychic strength she opened the door and stumbled. Anderson immediately reached for her and she gripped his hand tight. The second their skin made contact she struck, sending her consciousness into his. He froze, totally under her spell. 

She caught and held his eyes as she issued her orders, pushing her will into his mind. 

"You will walk me out of here. If anyone questions us you will tell them that you are taking me for a walk to calm me down and that everything is fine. Once we are outside you will wait for five minutes before returning, but you will not tell anyone where I went. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes."

"Good, let's move."

They were only approached twice the entire time they were making their way out of the complex and onto the road. Selene kept her head down, acting demure and innocent, playing up to the fact that she looked like death, pale with no makeup left on her face and like she badly needed some fresh air. 

She allowed him to support her as they walked slowly, though in reality she was clinging to his hand and arm to better keep the connection. She continued the charade until they reached the end of the road and then left him there with a reminder as to her orders. He froze like an obedient puppy and she raced off in the opposite direction. 

Her car was just where she had left it, but she fumbled with the handle, her hand too sweaty to grip properly or for her palm print to register. 

Growling in frustration she wiped her hand on her skirt and tried again. 

"Miss Tempest!" 

She jumped, turning guiltily to see the Private who had fetched her bag, running down the road after her, followed by two others. 

"You did not have permission to leave! You have to come back!" 

"Like fuck I do! I need to get home!" she grabbed the handle again, yanking at it, screaming in rage when the lock refused to budge. 

How dare they do this to her? She'd trusted them! Trusted Rigby and Casey, trusted them enough that she had opened up to them, helped them, used her gifts for their benefit! They were the ones that had the problem, they were the ones that couldn't even find out who was leaking secrets to their biggest enemy. They were endangering her boys, her family, practically handing them to the Hood on a silver platter. 

If anything had happened to her family because of their ignorance, their short sighted confidence in themselves and their ability to handle the situation, she would hunt them all down and one by one she would teach them a lesson they wouldn't forget. 

They had no right keeping her there, no control over her, yet they had treated her like an animal, holding her back and refusing to let her go. She would never forgive them for this. She would get to the Island if it was the last thing she did. If only she could get this fucking car open! 

"Open you fucking piece of shit!" She kicked the car, her fists slamming down on the roof, uncaring as to how much it hurt, letting all her anger and rage out on the car. "I have to get home!" 

The privates advanced on her, spreading out to encircle her, cutting off her escapes. 

"Back the fuck up, blondie! I'm not one's prisoner, you have no right to keep me here. I want to go."

"You aren't a prisoner," another private tried to reason, a young man in his early twenties that looked like he'd eaten his wheaties that morning, "but I've had my orders and they are to keep you safe, and that's what we intend to do. You aren't in a fit state to drive, you can't go anywhere, not yet. Just calm down and-" 

"You did NOT just tell me TO CALM DOWN!" Selene screamed. "No one comes anywhere near me! I'm warning you I'll -" 

The blonde private's radio crackled into life, making Selene pause in her tirade.

"Situation under control, area is secure, two suspects in custody, civilians unharmed," Rigby's voice floated out. "You can let her go now, she is no longer under our watch."

Selene closed her eyes in relief, sagging against the car. Grandma, Kayo, Peneolope, Parker and The Mechanic were safe. 

"I'm going home, you can't stop me, so you and your little cronies need to back away or get run over, those are your only choices."

"You aren't in a fit state to drive, will you please come back with us, get a coffee and wait for the Colonel to get back?" 

Go back? In there? When she had just escaped the fucking place? Her hand shook on the handle and she fumbled her keys, unable to keep a proper hold on them. She sighed, closing her eyes, willing herself to calm down. 

They were right, she couldn't drive like this, theirs did actually seem like a sensible idea, she wasn't really safe to let on the roads at this moment in time, or the skies for that matter. If the Island was safe she should do the right thing and stay behind to help out as much as she could although it was the last thing she wanted to do. She wouldn't forgive them for the way they had treated her, but that didn't mean she wouldn't help in any way she could. 

She nodded, allowing them to escort her back to the compound. They had better give her a decent fucking apology before she even thought about being nice to them again. 

A few people avoided looking at her as she entered, and she soon spotted the reason why. Lt Anderson was sitting in a chair in the reception area, a scared look on his face. OK, so she did feel a little guilty that she'd used him like that, but it had been extenuating circumstances and so she held her head high. Let them fear her, maybe that would stop them treating her in such a high handed manner again. 

Her comm vibrated, making her jump. What fresh hell was this? She tapped it, allowing access. 

"Re-entry into earth's atmosphere in two minutes," EOS spoke calmly. "All lives accounted for."

A wave of relief crashed over her, stealing her breath. They were alive. They were OK. They were almost home. They hadn't even been gone that long, surely that was good news? 

"Was the mission a success?" she whispered, hardly daring to hope. 

"Yes."

Selene clutched the comm to her chest, holding it tightly in her hands, a solid link to those who mattered most. 

What was that buzzing noise? Why did she feel so hot? She blinked, her head feeling fuzzy. She could hear noises in the distance but it was suddenly too hard to focus. She felt her body sway, her legs give way and then the ground suddenly seemed so much closer. 

"CATCH HER!" someone yelled and then there was darkness.


	36. Down here on Earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter isn't one of my best, but it's a tribute to just how amazing pets are, how much they can help you, even just by offering silent support. This has been a hard few weeks for me and I'm taking comfort in my writing, please bear with me.

"There's a cat on my chair."

Armstrong didn't even twitch. 

"Why is there a cat on my chair?" 

The cat remained deeply asleep, curled in a ball, its nose tucked into its tail, declined to shed any light on the situation, although it didn't seem to have an issue with shedding on the chair. 

"Because he likes it?" Alan offered. 

Jeff sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in a gesture that Scott, and sometimes John, often mirrored without even realising they did it. 

"Where did it come from? When did we get a cat?" He'd had a tough day, had escaped a collapsing space rock, reunited with his family, endured a far too vigorous and intimate medical exam and all he wanted to do was sit in his chair at his desk and finally, finally believe that it was real, he was home. Instead a furry interloper was in his spot and didn't look inclined to move any time soon. Typical. 

"It's not an it, his name is Armstrong-" 

Jeff snorted gently at the name, at least it wasn't called Tiddles, Miss Meowington or something equally ridiculous. 

"He's Virgil and Selene's, though we all love him-" 

"Hold up," Jeff silenced his rambling youngest with a gently raised hand. "Who the hell is Selene?" 

***

Selene held a shaky John in her arms, a mixture of adrenaline, exhaustion and probably a small amount of shock, still riding him. They lay side by side on her bed, her fingers stroking soothingly through his hair as he recounted the past day and a half, spilling out everything that had happened, every single thing in a therapeutic stream of consciousness. 

"It was so hard sitting there with Virgil, just waiting and listening, waiting to know if our father was dead, alive or if we'd have to come back without knowing what had happened to him at all."

"I know, baby. I can't imagine what you all went through. I'm so sorry I wasn't there with you."

"No, we talked about this, I didn't want you there. I didn't want to worry about you as well as everyone else. I wanted to know you were safe so I could focus and do my job."

"Still didn't stop me wanting to be there."

"I know."

"I'm just glad everyone is alright, well physically at least. I was in the office at the GDF when the call came through about the Chaos Crew being on the island and I will admit that I might not be welcomed back there any time soon."

"What did you do?" his tone was long suffering, which was nice to hear, he knew her far too well. 

"They took off but wouldn't take me with them."

"Good, Scott specifically told them to keep you safe, and I made them promise the same or they couldn't borrow you again."

"You gave them permission to hold me prisoner?" her tone warned him to tread carefully. 

"Of course not!" 

"Well, whatever. It doesn't matter, they tried to hold me and they failed."

"Why are you always trouble?" he lifted his head and she stole a kiss. "You do know that Rigby told Kayo all about it don't you? And she told me. Apparently the term wild cat was used to describe you and you scared the crap out of the entire London branch of the GDF." 

Selene shrugged, "I am who I am."

"True," he sighed and settled his head back on her chest, not willing to argue over it. "I'm just glad we managed to get the Zero-XL away without any issues, although we hated leaving the others behind to deal with the aftermath," he squeezed her waist, pulling her in closer. 

"If anyone could cope with them it's the three ladies of the house, I'm sure Parker and Nic were surplus to requirements, they could have gone off for a bubble bath and still come back to those two hog tied and nicely packaged ready for an extended vacation at the GDF's resort." She kept her tone light and jokey, refusing to let him know just how panicked she had been, how desperate and scared for them all. She didn't care that the women could handle themselves, she had wanted to be there with her family, helping them defend their home. The fact that no one had trusted her enough to be there still hurt, it still made her angry but now wasn't the time to bring it up. 

Her comment got a small, shocked laugh out of him and she almost sighed with relief, her man needed time, lots of time, they all did, but it was him she would always worry about the most. 

"How is he? In general I mean? Gods, I'm sorry, that's such a loaded question and I know it's probably not even something you can answer, I shouldn't have asked."

"No, it's natural to ask, and I know what you meant. I'm just not sure how to answer. He's better than we expected in some ways, but worse in others." He sat up and climbed off the bed, needing to pace, needing to move around. John didn't do inactivity well, the only time he was still was when he was sleeping or on the rare occasions they could curl up to watch a movie with the family or on their own. He also needed a little distance. Much as he loved Selene she could feel a little too invasive sometimes, her uncanny abilities meaning she often felt like she was inside his head with him and he needed to be the only one in there right now. When he needed to think, when he needed to be strong he more often than not needed space, he needed to not be touched right now. 

As usual she knew what he needed and let him go, let him move and kept quiet, ready to let him talk as little or as much as he wanted to. 

"Mentally he seems stronger than I would have expected him to be, but then I'm not surprised, not really, because that's the kind of man he is."

She nodded, understanding what he was saying. She'd spoken to Scott about Jeff numerous times, listened to him talk about the strong, successful and brave man that his father had been and hopefully still was. 

"Physically he seems stronger than I expected, he moved like lightning when he suspected that Brains wasn't himself, and he was right." 

Scott had taken the phone from John after she'd assured herself that he was OK once they had returned home and had told her everything that had happened on their flight, when he had found his Dad, and on the return flight. The Chaos Crew had acted as a distraction, allowing the Hood to sneak aboard the Zero-XL. 

Brains and MAX had held their own as best they could, but the Hood had taken over the ship, assuming the identity of the bespectacled engineer. The boys had returned to the ship, but it had been Jeff who had noticed that something wasn't right with Brains. 

They had subdued the villian and locked him away, returning to Earth and handing him over to the GDF, along with his cohorts. 

"It's going to take time for him, I was there for his medical, along with Grandma and Virgil. He's severely malnourished, as you would expect, he has osteomalacia," at her blank look he explained, "a softening and weakening of the bones due to lack of vitamin D, a side effect of eight years of no sunlight. He's got a few bones that had broken over the years and while he-" John paused, swallowing before he continued, unable to comprehend what his father had been through, "and while he set them as best he could, they have healed slightly out of alignment, he also has loose teeth and other health issues, the symptoms common in scurvy." he laughed bitterly. "It seems that it's not just pirates that suffer from it. He's not had fresh fruit or vegetables in years, he had vitamins on board in the medical bay and thankfully the supplies were numerous, but even all his hard work couldn't combat the harshness of his situation or the effects of space on his body."

John dropped back down on the bed and she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, graduating to wrapping her arms around him from behind, holding him close when he lent back towards her rather than pulling away. His hand came down on top of hers, linking their fingers as he borrowed strength from her. 

"He's got muscle wastage, some eye damage due to poor light and he can barely stomach food. And that's just physically. Mentally we aren't sure. He jumps at almost any noise, which is understandable, he's not been around people or any noise that he hasn't made himself for so long. He's in so much pain, he's suffering being back but he's a fighter, Sel. He's a fighter and he will get better, he's determined, it'll just take time."

Selene held him until he ran out of words, she held him until his shaking slowly subsided and he relaxed back against her chest as she so often had done with him. 

He sighed, tipping his head back for a kiss. "I can't stay much longer, they all need me. You'll come back with me, won't you?" 

"Do you think it's the right time? I mean, that's why I stayed here last night. I didn't want Jeff to be faced with a new person when he'd just got home."

"You're not a stranger, you're family, you're my wife, or as good as, and I want you there with me. We all do. Please come with me."

She smoothed that little curl of hair back from his forehead, seeing the tense lines there, the tension at his temples. Was she nervous to meet her father in law, of course she was, but she'd be there if her love needed her, if any of them needed her, nothing would stop her. 

"Then I guess you'd better take me home, gorgeous man."

***

John held her hand tightly as they walked slowly from the hanger to the villa kitchen. She didn't know what to expect, she didn't know what to say, what to do or how to act. She was completely out of her depth. 

John carried her basket of goodies for the boys and some specially made soup that was packed full of vitamins and goodness but blander than normal, continuing just chicken broth, some potatoes, carrots, celeary and lots of supliments to help build Jeff's strength up. 

The second they walked into the kitchen she was almost bowled over by Alan, his arms going around her waist, his face buried in her shoulder. She hugged him tightly, her hand rubbing soothing circles on his back. 

"Hey, my sweetheart."

"Hey," he mumbled back, giving her another tight squeeze. 

"You OK?" 

She felt his nod but knew deep down that he was anything but. He was overwhelmed, over emotional and trying so hard to be grown up and strong. She didn't want to tackle it now, to wade through his complicated feelings and make him look too closely at them, it wasn't the right time, but she would soon, when he was ready. For now she would just give him comfort in a way he could cope with. 

"I've got your brownies, home made, and I packed you a big bottle of banana milkshake to wash them down."

His head shot up, a wide grin on his face as she pointed to the basket John had placed on the table. 

Alan let her go and left to dig through the basket, extracting the tub of brownies, the milkshake and one of the burgers they had picked up on route. 

Gordon wandered over, attracted by the smell of food, slid an arm around Selene's waist in a one armed hug and took a burger for himself and one for Peneolope, who had stayed the night. Selene made a mental note to check in with her and make sure she was doing OK, her relationship with Gordon might be a relatively new development but she'd known the boys far longer and no doubt loved them all just as much as Selene did. 

John, who had been waiting patiently by the door, held out a hand to her. Looked like she couldn't put it off any longer. She gave Alan another little squeeze for luck, although he squeaked and batted her away, thinking she was going to try and steal a bite of his burger. She dropped a kiss on his head and left him to it, taking the flask of soup with her. 

John's hand felt solid and warm in hers, giving a reassuring squeeze. How had they suddenly switched roles? From her comforting him to him letting her know it would be alright? 

She followed him to the darkened lounge, almost immediately spotting the figure sitting at the desk. Wow, that was strange. She'd always known it was Jeff's desk, but to see someone other than Grandma or one of the boys sitting there really brought home the fact that he was there, he was a real person not some abstract character that she'd been told about. 

He looked up from the screen he'd been studying as they entered and instantly she felt like she recognised him, like she knew him. She was startled by the striking resemblances his sons shared with their Dad, she could see a little of his features in all of them now that she was seeing him in the flesh rather than a grainy holographic image or the amazing painting Virgil had finished just last week. 

He had the same shaped face and eyebrows as Scott, the same forehead and cheek bones as Virgil but the same nose and eye colour as Alan's. The resemblance to John and Gordon was more subtle but she saw Gordon in the smile he sent John's way and she saw John in his quietly assessing gaze, the way his lips thinned as his eyes flickered between the two of them, taking in their joined hands, and her sudden appearance in his home. 

His body was far too thin, but she'd expected that, and he still had an IV attached to the back of his hand, but otherwise he looked remarkably good for someone who had spent so long alone. 

Merp! Selene heard the little kitty chirp of greeting, followed by a small thump as Armie leapt down off the lap he had apparently been curled up on and emerged from under Jeff's desk. 

This made John smile as he released her hand so she could scoop up the cat. "I see Armstrong got you too?" 

Jeff nodded. "He refused to leave so Alan lifted him while I sat down. He's not too bad, quiet company which is more than I'm used to." His voice was quiet from lack of use but still held a tone that showed he was used to commanding and issuing orders that no one would dare to ignore. Sharp blue eyes focused first on the cat and then up to meet Selene's, then slid to face his son. 

"This must be the fiancée?" 

"Wi-" John started to correct but she grabbed his hand, giving it a warning squeeze. No one needed to know about an unofficial but meaningful space ceremony. That was just for them. 

"Yes," John continued smoothly. "This is Selene."

Selene shoved the protesting cat into John's arms and crossed over to the desk, offering her hand. 

"It's so nice to meet you, I've obviously heard all about you." Gods it was strange to be standing in front of the man that had dominated their conversations and minds for the last few months and Selene was uncharacteristically nervous, although John had told her to just be herself. But that didn't stop the worry that maybe herself just wasn't good enough. 

Jeff shook her hand, his grip surprisingly firm, although she could feel every bone in his hand and wrist. 

"Well I've heard nothing about you, so why don't you pull up a chair and tell me how you two met?" 

John deposited Armie on top of Virgil's piano to free up his hands. Armie didn't stay there but went straight back to Jeff, leaping up onto his desk and then easing himself down onto his lap, curling up quietly as if he knew the older man needed gentle handling. 

While John arranged a couple of chairs Selene took the flask over and busied herself pouring Jeff a small cupful. 

"We brought you some homemade soup."

Jeff eyed it warily. 

"I made it, not Grandma," Selene promised. 

"You're familiar with my mother's cooking I see," he smiled, curving his fingers around the cup. It was his smile that finally made her relax a little and sink down into the chair that John had provided. She was marrying his son, she wasn't going anywhere, so he'd have to accept her as she was. She wasn't about to act any differently than she did any other time. She refused to be on edge in her own home even if it had been his first. 

"Very much so, but apparently I hold the record for the most curry to be eaten in one night without throwing up," she was still oddly proud of that even if it hadn't been because of her cast iron stomach. 

The depth of Jeff's laughter surprised her, it started out as a small chuckle, barely audible, but it gradually grew into a deep belly laugh although it was cut off abruptly by a coughing fit. John poured him a glass of water and Jeff took a long drink before he was able to continue. 

"It's nice to know that some things never change," he added once he'd caught his breath. "Thank you for the soup, my stomach couldn't handle anything Mother could concoct at this moment in time. Sometimes I think she's some kind of witch just throwing random things into a pot and hoping for the best."

Selene bit her lip, unsure as to how much anyone had told Jeff about her. 

"So, you were going to tell me how you two met?" Jeff took a cautious sip of the soup, his face registering mild but pleasant surprise before he took a larger mouthful. 

"We met when I called for help, I'd managed, quite by accident, to get myself stuck in a bit of a situation and I found myself in need of rescue."

"What was wrong?" Jeff was imaging all sorts, from trapped in a fire to a plane crash. 

"I kinda crashed into a tree and got stuck up there."

"You crashed a plane into a tree? You're lucky you weren't killed."

Selene ducked her head, unable to look at John without laughing, luckily he took one for the team, managing to keep a straight face. 

"She actually crashed her broom into a tree."

"Her broom?" The frown on Jeff's face was a sight to behold. "A broom? Like a flying witches broom? I know I've been off planet for eight years but I didn't think they would resort to that as the latest must have gadget. What will they think of next?"

John's lips twitched but he controlled himself admirably. "No, just Selene, she's a witch, Dad."

One bink. Two blinks. Then three. 

Had they broken Jeff? Scott would never forgive her. 

Finally Jeff seemed to recover, clearing his throat. 

"A witch." John and Selene both held their breath. "That's interesting, can't say I've come across one before but as they say 'there is more to heaven and earth than is dreamt of in your philosophy'. I'm not ashamed to say that I prayed every night to anyone that would listen, prayed for a miracle, prayed for someone to wave a magic wand and if you're telling me that some kind of magic really does exist and that you met because of a crashed broom, then who am I to argue?"

Selene huffed out a relieved sigh. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. 

***

"I like her," Jeff assured his son after his intended had bustled off to check on the boys and make them some tea, insisting, much as Penny's father always had, that tea made everything better. "She certainly knows her own mind."

John couldn't help but smile. "She does, yes. She's a little like a cyclone, she breezes into the room, shakes things up and then continues on her way."

"How does she get on with everyone else?" Jeff continued to slowly sip the soup, having found it to be light enough that it wasn't too harsh on his stomach but with enough flavour to still be palatable, in short it was just what he had needed. 

"Amazingly well, everyone adores her, she's even helped out with a few rescues and works with me in Five quite often."

"She does? She comes from an average family, according to her, what could an unskilled civilian have to offer?" 

John settled back in his chair, trying to not take the comment as a personal slight to his woman. 

"Selene has a very unique ability, one that we didn't realise we needed until she was here. She has an uncanny way of recognising exactly what people need on an emotional level and how people are feeling, she can get anyone to talk. She's kept each of us together at some point, she's also helped me talk down a number of people intent on hurting themselves as well as those that needed more emotional support than physical rescuing. She had no qwarms with stepping in to help with anything, including a birth during an avalanche where the mother's husband had just died. She's pretty amazing."

"She sounds it," Jeff couldn't help but be impressed, he especially liked the way his son had defended her so quickly. 

"She's helped Kayo with a couple of jobs and the GDF too, although apparently she needs to make herself scarse there for a bit."

Jeff raised a questioning eyebrow. 

"She was there when the GDF got the call about the Hoods minions being here. Scott and I had both told Colonel Casey that she was to be kept safe, so they refused to let her leave. She tried fighting her way out, kicking and screaming, demanding to be let out and when she couldn't get free she used underhanded witchcraft to get out. They caught up with her two blocks over, getting into her car intent on flying straight here to help. Now they are all scared of her."

Jeffs lips twitched in a smile that he was trying very hard to hide. 

"She's ballsy."

"That she is."

"And she makes you happy?" 

"Every day. She also refused to marry me until you were home so you could be there. In fact, she wants you to perform the ceremony, she said it was only right that the head of the family be the one to make her a permanent part of it." 

If John saw the slight sheen of moisture in his father's eyes he didn't comment on it. 

"I'm going to catch up with her and leave you to your peace for a little while, we'll all be back in a bit," he got to his feet and stretched, covering a yawn. 

"To be honest, son, I think I'll head to bed, and by the look of it, you should too."

John nodded, not wanting to overwhelm his father at this early stage, if he felt like he needed to rest, then rest he should have. 

"Do you need help?" 

Jeff shook his head. "No, I've survived long enough, I'm sure I can make it to my room. Goodnight, Son."

"Goodnight, Dad."

***

Jeff lay awake in bed, unable to sleep. He was physically exhausted, but his mind just wouldn't let him rest. He'd listened to the sounds of the household settling down over the past few hours, the rumbling of voices in the lounge, the sound of footsteps, doors closing, showers hissing, toilets flushing, the general getting ready for bed sounds that he'd almost forgotten about and now it had lapsed into the silence he was more used to. 

When he had been alone, in a time when he didn't know what month it was, let alone what time of day, he would sleep when he felt tired, he didn't have a routine. He'd exercise as best he could each day, he'd carefully space out and ration his meals and supliments, going from one meal a day and suppliments to one meal every two days and the pills every three. After a while his body had grown used to this semi-fast, his stomach had stopped complaining for food, stopped gnawing with hunger, leaving him feeling as if he were a stranger in his own body as the weight had dropped off him, his muscle mass had diminished and he'd felt his strength dwindling. Things that had been simple for him before were now a herculean task, but he'd forced himself to do it, to live. 

Water had been less of an issue, there had been plenty on board and the Zero-X had been equipped with a filtration system in the toilet and the air vents, but he'd still had to use it sparingly, unable to use much for more than the most basic of his hygiene needs. He'd run out of toothpaste after the first year and had resorted to just brushing with water, making do as best he could. 

A noise made him jump, a soft thump against his bedroom door. He ignored it, thinking it must just be one of his boys going for a snack. His boys, just the thought of it filled him with more joy than he could ever describe. Honestly, he'd given up hope of ever seeing them again, it had been too long and they had never made contact, he'd been on his own. 

Thump! Louder this time, followed by a demanding meow. That cat! He'd sat on his lap all night and now it appeared that he wanted in his bed too. Well that wouldn't be happening. 

Jeff closed his eyes again, willing himself to sleep. 

Meeeeerowwwww! 

That cat was going to wake the entire house if he didn't shut up. Sighing, Jeff hauled his weary bones out of bed. Honestly, he could admit to himself in the quiet of his familiar room, that it might be nice to have some company that wasn't expecting him to be strong. He'd spent so long alone that it was hard to adjust to constant attention, the cat was a little more peaceful. 

It took him a while to shuffle to the door but as soon as he opened it the cat trotted in and sat beside his bed, staring at him expectantly. 

"OK, OK, I'm coming."

As soon as he was back in bed the cat leapt up and began padding at the pillow beside his head. 

"Make yourself at home," Jeff muttered under his breath but Armstrong didn't seem to care. "Must be nice, being a cat, no worries, nothing to do but sleep and wait to be fed."

The cat blinked sleepy eyes at him as he finished his kneading and curled up in a tight ball. 

"Not that I have much to do but wait to be fed and sleep myself at the moment."

Jeff stretched out a hand and gave the cat an experimental stroke. Like he had flicked an on switch the cat began purring, nuzzling against his hand. 

"Maybe you aren't so bad, you're less nosy that the family at least."

Jeff sighed, settling into a soothing rhythm of stroking. 

"Everyone wants me to talk, to open up and get things off my chest, but they forget that I never did that before, let alone now."

The cat looked at him, his ears flicking as if he were listening. 

"I didn't expect to ever see this Island again, to ever feel firm ground under my feet." The cat humphed, relaxing and so did Jeff. It actually felt good to talk to someone that didn't actually understand the words he was saying and wouldn't judge him for them. 

In the wrecked hull of the Zero-X he had done all he could to keep his focus, to keep his brain active and more importantly, sane. He'd used knives as a razor and when they had become too dull to use he had repurposed them into a drawing aid. He possessed no paper or pencils, so the walls had become his canvas. Every night he'd close his eyes and conjure up the image of his home, and slowly, over months, he had scratched the image of the Island onto the wall, talking to his family as he did so. He'd held long, imaginary conversations with each and every one of them, telling them his hopes for their future and stories of their past. If he focused hard enough he could still recall the sound of their voices, could see the colour of their eyes and picture them in his mind, although of late that had begun to fade. 

"I can't ever say this to my boys, but I was supposed to die two days ago. I'd made up my mind."

Armstrong stretched out a paw and laid it on Jeff's shoulder as if he knew exactly what the man was talking about. 

"I'd felt the ground beneath me shaking for days, I knew it was breaking up. I had a choice, plummet to my death inside the Zero-X and risk being crushed and trapped, dying slowly and painfully, or I could choose to die the same way I had lived, my way."

Armstrong's eyes were closed but Jeff felt like he was still listening and it felt good to speak of the things that had been haunting him. 

"I always had it in the back of my mind that, when I felt the time had come, I would rather go on my own terms, in my own time. I'd kept an unopened bottle of strong pain medication, I stepped out onto that rock and planned to swallow every one of those pills then let space have me."

He swallowed, horrified at how close he'd actually come to never seeing his family again, the horror they would have seen if they had found him floating, lifeless…

"I looked out over the vast blackness of space and saw the thing I'd given up all hope of seeing. I thought I was dreaming, going mad or maybe I'd already died in my sleep and just didn't know it yet, but I saw not one thunderbird but two." 

His eyes filled with tears that he'd refused to let flow when surrounded by his family, but here in the sanctuary of his room, with an animal that didn't expect anything from him, he finally felt like he could let go. 

"I watched Alan and Scott coming closer, saw my eldest and my youngest for the first time in so long, and I found myself frozen on the spot. I didn't want to leave in case that broke the spell and made them go away. So I waited but the space board was still there, they had gone inside, that's when I finally allowed myself to move."

He wiped away a few stray tears that had escaped his iron control. 

"I don't think I truly believed it though, not until I reached out and caught hold of his hand. He looked up at me, the most beautiful sight, my son. And he called me Dad. He was real."

Jeff cleared his throat, choking on his words as the dam holding his emotions in place crumbled.

"I could go home."

He looked around his room, which hadn't changed a bit since the day he had left, every item there familiar, yet also very alien.

"I'm home." He huffed out a relieved sigh, feeling strangely lighter after his unburdening session. 

"You're just a cat," Jeff fondled one soft ear, rubbing it between finger and thumb, "you don't understand what it's like to have lost all hope, to be alone and feel that you're trapped and will never see home again. But thank you for listening, hopefully we can do this again sometime."

***

Half his family were in the lounge by the time he emerged next morning, but they had thoughtfully drawn the blinds in an effort to shield his sensitive eyes from the bright sunlight that was ever present in their part of the globe. 

He took his time, moving slowly and lowered his weary body into one of the bucket seats that lowered to allow pilot access to Three. Armstrong, who had stayed with him all night, followed, jumping onto the arm of the chair to settle on his lap. 

"There he is," Virgil smiled. "Selene has been looking for him, it's not like him to miss breakfast, or any meal come to think of it."

"Yeah, he eats more than Alan," Gordon commented. 

"So do you," Scott shot back from his spot at the desk where he was working. "Did you want me to move?" 

Jeff shook his head. "I'm fine here for now," he gestured to the cat. "What's his story, no one told me?"

"I was out with Selene in London, we'd been to a concert. We had just left the theatre when the heavens opened. It was coming down so hard we could barely see a hand in front of our face, but she heard something and insisted we stop," Virgil smiled, remembering the night. 

"We found that little guy trapped down a drain. He was soaked, starving and alone. We couldn't leave him, so after we got him out we brought him back with us. We put up announcements online but no one claimed him and he wasn't registered anywhere. He was all alone, needed a home, so we kept him."

Jeff nodded, his hand resting on the cats back. It seemed that his new friend could understand him more than he'd thought. They had both come home and they would never have to leave again.


	37. The Most Eligible Tracy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dating the most eligible Tracy comes with its own set of problems and the time has come to stop hiding and face the world.

"Have they seen it yet?" Alan peered over Gordon's shoulder to look at the gossip page on his screen. 

His brother shook his head. 

"I don't think so, Selene isn't screaming ye-"

"What the ever loving fuck?" 

"She's seen it," Alan sighed. "This isn't going to be fun." 

"She really does swear a lot," Jeff commented to no one in particular, from his customary spot at his desk. "In my day young ladies spoke like ladies."

"It's because she's honest, she always speaks her mind and the fact that she never thinks before she speaks is part of her charm," Gordon laughed. 

"Why is she screaming this time?" In the five weeks that Jeff had been home he'd rapidly learnt that his middle son's woman was a force of nature that even he couldn't fight. 

The first time her dulcet tones had rattled around the villa he had jumped a mile, not used to sudden or loud noises. She had immediately apologised, begging his forgiveness, looking so upset that she'd forgotten his situation and yelled, that he had immediately sought to reassure her. He actually liked the fact that she wasn't tip toeing around him, she was just being herself and that was quite endearing. 

"I'd guess she's just seen a picture from the press conference," Gordon informed him. 

"The press conference? What was so bad about that? I thought it went quite well considering."

Jeff had decided that he had hidden away long enough, he wanted to get back to work, to involve himself in all aspects of the family life again, and that included stepping back into his position as figure head of Tracy Construction and Aeronautics as well as of International Rescue. 

They had arranged a press conference, the GDF having already put out a news announcement that they had finally apprehend the Hood and his cohorts and with it the information that he had been captured by International Rescue while on a mission to rescue their father. 

There had been uproar, Jeff being a very famous and much loved man, and with that news came the inevitable churning of the rumour mill, spitting out such corkers as Jeff now being insane, disfigured or disabled, to the even wilder stories of him having married an alien being and fathering twenty-eight hybrid children. The longer they left it, the stranger the stories became, in the end they had realised that they needed to release their own version of the story. They had to face the world and tell them the truth. 

"Here," Gordon zoomed the article to Jeff's tablet with a swipe of his finger. 

"IS THE MOST ELIGIBLE TRACY OFF THE MENU?" The headline screamed. "THE ELDEST TRACY WAS SEEN WITH A MYSTERY WOMAN AT HIS FATHER'S PRESS CONFERENCE. A source, who wishes to remain anonymous, has informed us that the woman, identified as Selene Tempest, international psychic medium, has been spotted out with Scott Tracy on a number of occasions and has been linked to the Tracy family for more than a year. First seen together at a charity ball hosted by Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward, socialite and philanthropist, Miss Tempest has apparently captured the heart of a Thunderbird." 

Jeff's eyebrows slowly rose as he read aloud from the article. There was a picture of Selene and Scott, wrapped in a tight hug, standing off to the side of the empty podium, obviously taken before the press conference had started. 

"They think she's dating Scott," Alan added, not that his information was needed, that much had been obvious. 

The sound of her stomping heels came tapping down the hall and she burst into the lounge with the force of a hurricane, all pissed off energy with a scowl firmly fixed on her face. 

She dropped down on the couch beside Gordon, snatching his tablet from his hand. 

"Why the hell would they print this?" she growled, waving the tablet around like it was a flag. Gordon grabbed at the tablet, not wanting her to drop it or smash him around the head with it but she dodged and stabbed at the screen with her finger. 

"Is it anywhere else? Oh gods, it is. It's everywhere!" 

"What's so bad about dating me?" Scott meandered in, drawn by the shouting but in the mood to annoy her. 

Her scowl redirected itself at her best friend. 

"I knew you were keeping me as backup for the time when you either realised that my brother is an unworthy idiot or that I'm clearly the superior choice, but I didn't think you'd go to such extremes to show the world how much you love me." 

The scowl became a glare. 

Scott opened his arms."You know you want me! I'm the most eligible Tracy after all."

"Do you like your nuts where they're currently hanging or would you prefer to wear them as earrings? Because I can arrange that."

"Such hostility, where's the love?" 

"I'll show you love you- hold that thought, just insert your own insult there, OK?" Selene picked up her phone to answer the incoming call. "Sele- no I don't want to make a statement, thank you." She hung up but the phone immediately began to ring again. "Selene Temp- no, I have nothing to discuss about my private life, it's private, that's why we use that word, goodbye." 

"I decided that you wouldn't insult me, because you love me, so I picked that you would show that love by making me a sandwich," Scott continued as if nothing had happened. 

"Jeff, how do you feel about being down one son? You've got enough spares, right?" 

"I want no part of this," Jeff had quickly learnt that Selene was as bad as his sons when it came to trying to drag him into an argument. "But I'm afraid I can't allow you to kill him."

"Can I just rough him up then, just a tiny bit? Gahhhh, this bloody phone!" 

She grabbed it off Gordon's lap where she had dropped it in a huff. 

"What do you want? I won't give you any information on… Mum? No, no, no, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you!" 

Scott doubled over in silent laughter, practically wheezing. Selene chucked a cushion at his head which hit him square in the face, making him laugh harder. 

"Mum, I did tell you I was dating! Yes I did! I told you at your birthday dinner! Yes, and I was telling the truth, he was busy! There was a train crash in Nepal! I told you he was in the rescue business!" 

Gordon quickly moved his legs out of the way as she got to her feet to pace, the phone held a few inches away from her head, her mum's loud squawking voice coming from its speaker almost deafening. 

"Mum, can I call you back? No, I'm not trying to avoid you! I'm trying to avoid life right now! I need to find a way to fix this!" she listened for a few minutes as her mother ranted. "Mum, why does it matter who he is or what his job is? No I wasn't trying to hide anything from you! I asked if you wanted to meet him at Christmas, I wanted to show you my engagement ring," she facepalmed hard, closing her eyes in despair, realising that she had just fucked up. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to tell you over the phone! Yes I do love you, I wasn't shutting you out of my life! You're just being dramatic now!"

"Now we know where Selene gets it from," Alan side whispered to Gordon, who sniggered in response. 

Jeff watched as his daughter-in-law stomped her way back and forth in front of his desk, wondering just how much damage her spiked heels were doing to his floor. 

Scott, in full on dick mode, risked life and limb to catch her around the waist, leaning over her shoulder to blow kisses at the phone. 

"Scott, will you stop it! For the love of…No you can't talk to him, he's not my boyfriend! No, Mum I'm not lying to you!" she elbowed Scott in the stomach but the annoying man didn't let go, lifting her up and spinning her around. 

"Arghhhh, get off! Mum I promise, I'll call you back. Yes, yes of course you can meet him soon, yes you can meet him too. Put me down! I know you do, how could I forget that? I promise! I have to go, love you." 

Scott let her go and stepped back out of the way, she didn't know why but assumed his self preservation had finally kicked in. 

"Yes I promise, just let me deal with the press first. Yes I'll call you tonight. Yes, I love you too. Bye." 

Selene swung round to face him. "You are so dead!" 

"Is there a reason you're threatening him this time, or is it just because it's Tuesday?" John's voice made her jump, his hologram floating in mid air, the connecting beep having been missed during Selene's ranting phone call. "And why do you need to deal with the press?" 

"How long has he been there?" Selene whispered to Scott. 

"Not too long." 

"Long enough to hear that. Now what's going on?"

Shifty glances were exchanged. John had seen them far too many times to be comforted by it and was rapidly losing patience. 

"OK, spill." His arms were crossed, his eyebrows slightly raised, a look they had all seen before. 

"It seems that my involvement with this family is no longer a secret," Selene began. 

"Why?" 

"Because she's dating me."

Selene closed her eyes, praying the ground would open up and swallow him. "You are not helping," she hissed at him. 

The look on John's face said he was not impressed with that answer. "Explain."

"Sending now," Gordon helpfully shared his tablet screen with his brother. John's head vanished out of view for a few moments before reappearing. 

"This is why I shouldn't let you two go out alone," John sighed, trying to make light of the situation. "We knew this day would come and honestly, with all the extra attention on us right now we should have guessed this would happen."

"What do you want to do? Obviously I have to make it clear that I'm not marrying your brother and my mum is having a breakdown over the phone because she thinks I've been lying to her for months, plus she has a crush on your dad and I just can't deal with that right now."

Jeff chuckled. "It's nice to know I've still got it." 

Selene ignored that comment. "Look, can you come down here so we can talk about this properly?" 

John hadn't seen her look this nervous in a long time, he'd learnt to recognise the signs, the way she crossed her arms over her chest and hugged herself, the tone her voice took. 

"Of course, I'll be right there. Dad," he called over, "I'm transferring monitoring to you. I'll be ten minutes."

***

John wished he didn't love her so much and had stayed in space. Selene was amazing in so many ways, and one of them was her willingness to take on everyone's problems as her own, to worry about them even when they weren't worried themselves. She was doing that now. 

"This is not OK! We didn't want this, you didn't want this! You hate being the center of attention, I can't fix this! All I did was give him a hug, how did that translate to us dating?" 

"You and Scott have a bond, anyone can see that, it's never just a hug with you two."

"What do you mean by that?" she asked suspiciously, already on the defensive and taking everything the wrong way. "Please tell me you don't think there's something more going on between us. Do you want me to back off?" 

"No of course not, I've never worried about that, I trust you both, it's never even been an issue and it's still not. I love how close you are with him, with all of my brothers, I don't want anything to change." How could she even think that she was to blame for this or that he'd ever suspect her and Scott of anything untoward, the only thing he worried about them doing together was getting arrested. 

"Then how can I fix this?" 

John, ever patient, caught her flapping hands and pulled her down onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her. 

"You don't have to fix this, nothing is broken. We knew we'd have to go public at some point, so they have forced our hand, we deal with less than ideal situations every day, this is just another one. I'm surprised we managed more than a year of privacy."

"What do you want to do?" She laid her head back against his shoulder, secretly pleased that he'd dragged her to the sanctuary of their bedroom and away from the madness of the family. She didn't want them to see her freaking out any more than they already had. 

"That depends on you, you have to know that if we go public, all privacy you've ever had will be gone? You have two choices, deny it and claim you are just friends, which you are, and say you have no other links to the family, or we come clean. I'll respect whatever you choose."

Selene couldn't believe he'd just said that. 

"Sweetheart, we're going to get married, properly this time, and you're asking me if I want to lie to the world and pretend that I have nothing to do with you?" 

He nodded. 

"Nothing in this entire world would ever make me deny you or us. I love you, I'm so amazed and proud that I get to call you mine, and I'd happily shout it to anyone who asked. I don't want to hide from this and I definitely don't want to deny us."

"Then there's only one thing to do, we go public on our own terms," he sucked in a deep breath, wishing he had a different option. "I'm going to have to update my social media."

Her eyes widened. "No, come on, let's not do anything drastic, it's not come to that."

"We don't have a choice, the time has come for me to stop hiding."

"You don't have to do this, I can do it myself, Scott can too."

"No, we're in this together, I won't leave you to fight this alone," his serious tone made her giggle, exactly the reaction he had wanted. 

"My self sacrificing hero."

"And don't you forget it."

***

"Look, he's smiling, he's totally fine," Scott assured Selene. 

"He's smiling because he's terrified," Alan threw in just to stir the pot. 

"When did this turn into a family outing?" Selene groused, checking her eyeliner for the fourth time. "He's never going to enjoy this, I'm torturing him."

"It's a photoshoot, it's not like you're asking him to wrestle giant alligators."

"I think he'd prefer that."

Conscious of security they had made the decision to come out into the world rather than take pictures and upload them from base. Sure, John could ping their IP from a million different satellites so they couldn't be traced but the PR department of Tracy Construction and Aeronautics had insisted that they were to make their announcement properly, presenting the right look, the right attitude and the right words. 

John had given in gracefully, knowing that it had to be done, but now that they were in the middle of Hyde Park, a photographer in front of them and a crowd of people staring, wondering what was going on, he was regretting the decision. He'd thought a quick few pictures and an engagement announcement to the media would be enough. How wrong he had been. 

He hadn't believed that they were so popular until he saw the crowd around him already pointing their cell phones in their direction and invading their privacy. How he wished he was wearing the tie Brains had made him with the photo scrambler, but that would defeat the purpose of their outing. 

He was just thankful that they seemed to be more focused on Scott and Alan and less on him, in truth they probably didn't even know who he was. Damn, how he wished he could keep it that way. He'd been the rarely seen Tracy for so long, hidden away in his craft, that he'd forgotten what it was like to be stared at. Looked like he'd better get used to it. 

Thankfully the photographer hadn't been a fan of posed pictures, instead he'd instructed them to go for a walk around the park, to chat, to enjoy themselves and forget that he was even there. 

John had tried to relax but he'd found it impossible, the trail of people following along behind them was far more off putting than staged pictures could ever be and they'd eventually called time. The photographer tried to argue but they'd politely declined, insisting that they needed to try something else. 

As a pack they had trooped to a small coffee shop which eagerly agreed to allow them time to snap a few shots in exchange for a shout out. 

They had managed less than fifteen minutes before a large crowd had gathered outside the window. Those that couldn't squeeze inside had their noses pressed against the glass and the owner had told them, not unkindly but firmly enough, that they would have to stop their shoot and leave as they were causing a scene. 

"This is never going to work!" Selene groaned, her head thumping against John's shoulder. "Why the hell is Alan out there taking selfies with them?" 

"He loves the fans," Scott grinned, "it makes him feel- oh, sure, of course." Scott stood up to take a picture with a pretty young girl who had been hovering hopefully near their booth and had finally plucked up the courage to ask for a picture. 

"And one with her too?" 

"Sorry?" Selene's head jerked up. 

"Can I have a picture with both of you? You're such a cute couple." 

Selene looked at John, who she was currently snuggled against, his arm around her shoulders. Was she blind? 

"We're not actually a couple," Scott told the young fan. 

"You're not? Why's she here then?" 

"Well that's rude," Selene was not impressed. John squeezed her hand in support but also warning, don't make a scene, it's not worth it. She nodded in acceptance but still kept her glare in place. 

The fan wandered off, obviously deeming Selene as uninteresting now. 

"We need to fix this. Now!" 

"Sweetheart, it's not a big deal," John soothed. 

"It is to me."

***

"We've been going about this the wrong way. This isn't us. We're not a staged photo, make a public announcement type of couple. We're fine how we are. We've got nothing to prove to anyone," Selene insisted. 

They finally had some peace, tucked away in a corner of the lounge, now that everyone else had gone to bed. It had been a long day filled with screwed up plans, frustrating moments and they had all been relieved to call it a day and return to base. 

Their photographer had sent them what few pictures he had managed to capture but each one looked forced and posed, they both looked unnatural, uncomfortable and they hated them. They just didn't show the real them. Poor John looked like he was there through force, Selene seemed to have a permanent frown on her face as she glared at the crowds of people and they looked like they hated each other when nothing could have been further from the truth. 

Now that they were curled up on the couch, in peace and solitude, Selene and John could relax for the first time that day. 

Selene had been avoiding social media all day, her accounts going crazy with comments and questions. She'd gained more followers in two days than she had in six years, shooting up from a perfectly normal amount of just under two thousand to close to a million, her pictures being liked and shared and commented on until she'd had to turn off the notifications. 

Determined fans had been scouring every account linked to the family, digging deep and finding likes on posts, random comments, times they had been in the same locations and were slowly but surely building up a picture that was nothing like the truth, all in an effort to prove what they thought they knew. 

Somehow pictures of her and Scott were surfacing, but nothing of John. Her and Scott dancing at Penny's ball had been found but the fact that she and John had publicly kissed was ignored. Someone had taken a picture of her and Scott at the cinema and on one of their many nights out, yet there was nothing emerging of anyone else, not any of the other boys or John. 

Unfortunately, with the good had come the bad, and the negative comments hadn't been far behind the positive, supportive ones. Everything about her had been picked apart and criticised, from her hair, her style, her dress sense, her body shape and her voice to her religion and her job. Nothing was off limits and no one had pulled any punches when it came to informing her of just why she was so unworthy. 

She understood that Scott was a more well known Tracy, being front line of rescues along with Virgil and Gordon, she knew that they had legions of fans and quite a few would be put out when they realised that one of the legendary Tracys was off the market but it was going too far, and for something that wasn't even true. Surely John wasn't that unknown? How was this possible? 

She knew that John hated attention and people in general, going out of his way to avoid cameras and social events. So they hadn't really expected there to be much chance that they had been spotted out and about anywhere, but surely the world knew he existed?

She didn't care about the slur to her character, she didn't care about the nasty messages and comments she was getting, the threats and abuse, all she cared about was John. Her main concern was him and his comfort levels. In the grand scheme of things Internet rumours were pretty low on their list of concerns, but dammit, she was proud of her man, of how he was such an integral part of their organisation and she wanted the world to know just how much she loved him. The whole thing was pissing her off and she was determined to rectify the situation. 

Jeff had been dealing with the limelight for a lot longer than they had and had told them that he would support them in whatever they chose to do. It was up to them. Celebrities had been pairing off for as long as there had been celebrities, the attention would eventually fade once people knew that they were serious about each other and that nothing was going to break them apart. But their original problem was still there, the way that they were shown to the world would make all the difference and much as he might wish to remain anonymous, he knew that it just wasn't possible. 

"What do you suggest we do?" As always, John was more concerned for her than himself. He hated how this was upsetting her and he hated the comments and abuse she was getting. He'd already set EOS to the task of tracking down the account of each person who had said something nasty and alerting their lawyers but he knew they would get off with a warning. 

"I suggest we forget about it for tonight. Just kiss me. Don't think, don't worry, don't stress, don't focus on anything but us and kiss me."

"That I can do."

He tugged her closer, pulling her down onto his chest, their lips meeting in a soft kiss. Selene sighed softly, her lips curving into a smile, more than happy to feel his do the same. She broke the kiss, lifting her head just a little to rub her nose against his. 

"Love you Space Man."

"Love you too."

"Babe, look."

"Hum?" John turned his head to look at the phone she was holding. A short video was playing on the screen, only ten seconds, but it conveyed more than a whole day's worth of aborted photos ever could. 

Their kiss was sweet, their eyes and smiles showed more love than any words would. They looked relaxed, comfortable and very much in love, just as it should be. 

Without asking permission Selene uploaded the video to her accounts. 

John's phone dinged and he unwrapped an arm from around her waist to dig it out of his pocket. 

"No more hiding. You sure you're up for this?" 

"If it means I keep you away from my brother, definitely," he teased. 

With a stab of his thumb he pressed confirm, the words flashing up on her screen. 

ENGAGED TO JOHN TRACY

"There, we're out."


	38. Meet the Tempests

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There comes a time in every relationship when you have to put on your big boy pants and meet the parents.

"Ohhh this is a fancy place and no mistake," Celia Tempest cooed, her head swivelling to take in everything there was to see. She was an older lady of late middle age, and wore her hair short in a simple bob. 

"Girl did alright for herself, so she did," her husband, Rufus, nodded. 

"I can't believe she landed herself the son of a billionaire, who'd have thought it, our strange little daughter. Honestly, I always thought she'd end up in a commune somewhere raising goats or some such nonsense."

"Ma, they're coming, be quiet," Adam sighed, rolling his eyes at the behaviour of his parents. His sister's voice could be heard from the hallway, carrying as it always did, her happy laugh a pleasure to hear. He for one was happy for her, in the few times he'd spoken to her over the past year, when his phone actually had signal, she'd sounded more content than ever before, more comfortable in herself. He remembered how she had been with her last boyfriend, how quiet and subdued, how she had dodged questions about him and herself, yet with this one she seemed to have grown in confidence. 

"I thought she was dating the good looking one with the brown hair and those adorable dimples?" Celia frowned, watching as her daughter towed a reluctant looking redheaded man into the dining room, keeping a tight hold on his hand.

"Who?" Rufus grunted, not looking up from the menu. 

"That one," his wife pointed, nudging him hard with an elbow into his portly belly. 

Rufus glanced up briefly, but found nothing of much interest and returned to the decision of what to have for his dinner, stroking his bearded chin thoughtfully. 

Celia watched as the brunette in question leant in to speak to her daughter, who let out a quick burst of laughter, her eyes sparkling as she smiled brightly at him. 

Maybe she was dating them both? "Well, she is pagan," Celia muttered to herself. 

"What was that?" Adam asked, rousing himself from his quiet contemplation of the inside of his eyelids and lifting his head. 

"Do you have to meditate everywhere you go?" his mother groused. Adam just shrugged, not caring a jot. "I was saying that maybe your sister is dating more than one of them, she is pagan after all, they do that sort of thing, don't they? All free love and natural ways?" 

"I think there's a little more to it than that, Ma."

"More than two? How many brothers were there? Five isn't it? Oh, my days!" 

"Ma, breathe!" Adam flapped the menu in his mother's direction, fanning her as his sister and her entourage, the three younger men, followed by an older man who even he recognised as the infamous Colonel Jeff Tracy, an older lady and a younger woman who's eyes seemed to warn him not to try anything. 

Selene lowered onto the seat that Scott pulled out for her and hauled John down into the one beside her, still not letting go of his hand. Scott's lips twitched in amusement at the way she refused to give his brother any opportunity to escape. 

Jeff, Alan, Grandma and Kayo all took their seats around the large table, Scott settling in to the last one on Selene's left. 

"Hi everyone," Selene breezed, hoping that if she stayed relaxed she could transfer some of that to John whose hand felt sweaty in her own.

No one answered her, Celia and Rufus were too busy staring across the table at the gathered Tracy clan. 

"Daddy, are you OK?" 

Rufus was still holding his menu, but his eyes were fixed on Jeff. 

"Mum?" 

"Rufus!" another sharp jab to his ribs startled Selene's father into motion as he leapt to his feet. 

"Rufus Tempest," his hand shot out, almost knocking over the large vase of flowers in the center of the table, coming to a stop inches from Jeff's nose. 

"Oh, yeah, Jeff Tracy, good to meet you." Jeff scooted back in his chair and managed to get his hand up enough to clasp Rufus's and move it away from his face. In one smooth move that Selene was very envious of, Jeff stood up and pushed her dad's hand away while shaking, making it look effortless. 

Rufus pumped away at Jeff's hand although he didn't seem to hear anything anyone was saying to him. 

Jeff politely but firmly extracted his hand and offered it first to Adam, who declined in favour of clasping his hands together in prayer position and offering a "Namaste" and then to Celia, who grabbed it in both hands. 

"Ohh, you're so strong," she twittered. "It's so nice to meet you, Mr Tracy. I'm Celia, Selene's mother."

"Please, call me Jeff, and let me introduce you all to my mother, Sally, and Miss Kyrano, Kayo to friends and family, and my sons Scott, Alan and of course, John."

As a unit the Tempests nodded to Kayo, Alan and Grandma before settling on Selene, seated between Scott and John. 

"So which is it then?" Celia demanded to know. "Or is it both?" 

Selene rolled her eyes, used to her mother's theatrics and her tendency to believe everything she read online. "Just this one," she lifted her hand, dragging John's with it. 

"Not dimples?" her mum looked vaguely disappointed. 

Selene shook her head. "Just swoosh hair."

John didn't know what to think, how to act, if he was ever going to make it out of this alive, or why he had been demoted to nothing more than a hairstyle. It was the first time he'd ever had to meet someone's parents and so far it was as horrifying as he had imagined. 

Selene's brother was staring at him like he was looking into his soul and John was pretty sure he hadn't blinked in the last minute. He had his hair shaved almost down to nothing, the same long nose as Selene and the same blue eyes, set in a thin, angular face. In complete disregard to their surroundings he was wearing a roughly knitted poncho and had a stillness about him that even Virgil hadn't mastered. 

Adam suddenly grinned at John, catching him off guard. He forced his lips into an awkward smile in return, though he was sure it looked more like he had an uncomfortable case of gas. 

"Just him?" Selene's mum clarified, still stuck on her daughter's apparently unconventional relationship choices. 

"Just him, who is perfect and amazing by the way." John squeezed her hand in thanks but was still too nervous to look away from her brother.

"Young man, what are your intentions towards my daughter?" 

John jumped like he had been shot, tearing his eyes away from Adam's penetrative gaze to face Rufus. 

"Erm… I..." 

"What do you do for work?" Celia demanded to know and John's head swivelled to face her. 

"I work in space-"

"Space is it? And what do you do up there all day?" 

"Communications-"

"Communications? Then you should have learnt to speak up, lad."

John's eyes darted back to meet her father's. 

"I…"

Selene, having had enough of her parents demanding questions, slammed her hands down on the table top, making them all jump. 

"Stop bullying him." She lifted out of her chair and leant forward, closer to her parents, lowering her voice so she wouldn't be overheard. "You know full well what he does, but you also know that we're in public and he can't talk about anything to do with International Rescue," she hissed in a warning tone that promised retribution if they refused to listen. "Now be nice or we'll leave." She sat back down in her chair with a thump. 

"Listen good, I'm only going to say this once. This," she grabbed John's hand again and wiggled it for emphasis, "is my fiancé, I love him, you will be nice and love him too. This," she poked Scott's shoulder, "is my best friend and John's brother, I am allowed to hug him without it meaning anything else. That," she pointed at Alan, who waved cheerfully, clearly revelling in all the drama that for once he wasn't part of, "is the cutest little bean in the world, all you have to remember is that he can do no wrong."

Scott, Kayo, Jeff and John all snorted in disbelief at that while Alan preened. Selene ignored them all. 

"That is Grandma, she's awesome but will kick your butt if you upset any of her boys, that is Kayo, she'll kick your butt too but with her you only have to look at her sideways." Kayo grinned, totally unashamed of that introduction because it was true. "And you've already met Jeff, and no you can't ask him anything personal, we are not savages. Any questions?" 

All three members of her family shook their heads. 

"Right, let's order, I'm starving and can't deal with anything else on an empty stomach," Selene grabbed her menu, indicating that that was the end of the discussion. 

***  
"Are you serious about my sister?" 

John jumped out of his skin when Adam melted out of the shadows to join him. John covertly felt his chest to make sure his heart was still where it should be, relaxing back against the wall he'd been leaning on. All he'd wanted was a moment of quiet, a breath of fresh air and Selene's creepy ninja brother had appeared like a ghost from the dark to scare the shit out of him. 

"Sorry about that, bro, didn't mean to scare you. I just saw you out here and thought I'd keep you company."

"Thank you?" John hedged. What was he even supposed to say to that? 

Adam tipped his head back to look up at the dark night sky. John did the same, taking quiet comfort in his stars. 

"You seem like a nice chap," Adam began. 

"Thanks, you seem great too."

"So I feel like I can be honest with you, level with you so to speak."

"You do?" 

"Yeah, so I'll ask again, are you serious about my sister? Because if you're not, then you should do the decent thing and leave her alone."

"What? Now, wait just a sec-" 

"She's been hurt before, and I'd rather not see that happen again. I know your type, playboy sons of the billionaire, thinking you can just pick someone up and use them until you grow bored."

"I won't get bo-" 

"Maybe you should just leave now, before she ends up even more in love with you than she already is, she's not the sharpest tool in the shed if you know what I mean. She's a great girl but not quite all there." He nudged John playfully. "Come on, it's just us here, you can admit it. I lived with her for years, I know how annoying she can be."

"Now you list-" 

"Money doesn't buy everything you know, she doesn't care about any of that. She's a simple girl with simple needs, far too sensitive and soft for her own good. She's easily hurt and doesn't always make the right decisions. Why don't you just do her a favour, take your fancy family and go home, leave us to pick up the pieces like we always do?"

Once again John had been cut off before he could defend himself. This man knew nothing about him, his family or his relationship with Selene. How dare he presume to tell him what to do. 

"You know nothing about me," anger gave John's voice a dangerous edge as he straightened to his full height, moving closer until he was nose to nose with Selene's brother, his usual calm having deserted him. "I love your sister, and nothing you or anyone else could say or do, will change that. She is the most amazing woman I've ever met. She's not soft, she's one of the strongest people I know, she took a chance on me and I will be forever grateful that she thought I was worth the effort. If anyone should be worried about someone getting bored it's me, but I believe her, I believe in us. So you can back the fuck off, because you'll be leaving before I do."

Adam's eyes narrowed in a perfect mirror of his sister as he studied John. 

I'm about to be punched, John thought, bracing himself as the other man's arm lifted. But, to his intense surprise, Adam grabbed his hand, pulling him into a hug. 

"You'll do, dude, you'll do," he patted John's back, grinning. 

"What the fuck was that about?" John gasped, his breath huffing in and out of his lungs. "Why did you do that?" 

"I wanted to be sure you weren't lying. I wanted to see if you would stand up for her or run like the other idiots that thought they could use and abuse my sister."

"So you don't think she's an idiot or anything else you said?" 

"Of course I think she's an idiot, she's my sister. I bet you're the same with your family, you can say that about them but if anyone else does you'll drop them where they stand," Adam took a vape pen out of his pocket and began a slow inhale and exhale routine with it.

"I had to make sure you were being honest with me and I've found that the quickest way to get the truth is through anger. You passed my friend." Adam slapped John on the back, tucked his vape into his pocket and meandered away. 

Not for the first time, John wondered just what he had done to deserve such craziness in his nicely ordered life. He took one last deep breath of the cool evening air and followed after Selene's brother. 

***

"At least they aren't killing each other," Scott whispered to Selene, nodding to the parents as he got up to help Adam with drinks for the table. 

Dinner itself had gone quite well, all things considered. Celia had eased off John a little and spoken to him like a normal human being rather than a CIA interrogator and Jeff had taken one for the team by regaling Rufus with tales of everything he'd done in his life. 

Adam had taken a liking to Kayo, both of them finding a common ground with their love of martial arts and meditation and they had taken themselves away, settling cosily in a corner to talk. 

Celia was chatting to Grandma and Selene moved over to join them while John escaped for a moment to get some air.

"So I said to Ruf, Rufus, can you imagine what your cousin Margaret will do when she hears that our girl - the one they thought would never amount to anything with her ghosts, little cards and stones- is engaged to a Tracy! She'll be green with envy and maybe then she'll stop going on about her perfect son and his perfect career. He's a Captain, somewhat of a big shot, nice enough but often gets himself in trouble."

"Cousin Troy is a legend in his own mind," Selene laughed. 

"Cousin Troy?" John's arm slipped around her waist as he returned to the table, catching the tail end of the conversation. "As in Troy, Troy? That Troy?" 

"I don't know, it doesn't matter how many times you say his name, I'll still need more information than that," she squeaked, laughing when she received a gentle tickle to her ribs for being cheeky. "There's more than one Troy in the world, you know."

"WASP's Troy?" 

"Oh, so you've heard of him?" Celia sniffed, sounding a bit put out that Margaret's son was indeed as well known as Margaret said he was. 

"I should have realised, given your surname, just promise me one thing, you'll let me be there when you tell Gordon?" 

"Why would tha-" 

"Tell Gordon what?" Scott asked, overhearing as he deposited a tray of drinks down. 

"That Troy Tempest is Selene's cousin," John grinned. 

"Second cousin with a removed or two," Selene corrected. "His dad is dad's cousin, Norman , we don't know each other that well, only really see each other at family gatherings."

"Oh, wow," Scott laughed, "that's gonna be fun, can I be there when you tell him?" 

"What is so bad about Troy?" Selene demanded to know. 

"We'll let Gordon tell you," John chuckled. Selene's eyes narrowed in suspicion but it was nice to see John looking more relaxed, so she let it go. 

"Well, Margaret is about to be knocked off her top spot at the next family reunion. Thinks she's queen bee that one, just because her son is the successful one, but everyone knows a Thunderbird is better than a WASP any day of the week," Celia sipped her wine triumphantly, smacking her lips in appreciation at the taste. 

"I'll drink to that," Jeff raised his glass in a toast. 

"To family and Thunderbirds being better than WASP's," they all choroused. 

Alan sipped his drink, making a face that only Adam seemed to notice. 

***

"Is Alan OK?" Selene asked Scott. 

"Yeah. Why wouldn't he be?" 

"Because he just walked into a chair."

"He what?" Scott spun round to see his brother trying to pick up the chair he had knocked over, obviously unsteady on his feet. "Oh God."

Scott was on his feet in a second, closely followed by Selene. 

"Allie? You OK, sweetie?" 

"I'm fine, totally fine," he wobbled as he tried to stand. "I didn't know this was one of those revolving hotels, so cool."

"Alan, it's not."

They got him upright, catching sight of his unfocused eyes for the first time. 

"Has he been drinking?" Selene hissed under her breath. 

"I don't know," Scott whispered back. 

"What's up?" Adam materialised behind them like a ghost. 

"Fuck!" Scott jumped, making Alan collapse on Selene in helpless giggles. 

"Did you get him a drink?" Selene questioned her brother, trying to hold up the baby who suddenly seemed to weigh about 600lbs.

"I asked him what he wanted," Adam shrugged, "he said he'd have a beer, so I got him one."

"One?" Selene passed Alan to Scott, her hands firmly on her hips as she glared at her brother. 

"Yeah, just one each round."

"He's only 18!" 

"So?" 

"Gah! It's not legal in America!" 

"We're not in America," he explained patiently as if he were speaking to a child before wandering off to the bar.

"Quick, help me get him to bed before Dad sees him," Scott whispered. 

"On it," she whispered back, then raised her voice. "Hey, you two, will you come help me for a second?" She slipped her arm through Alan's, dragging him out of the bar. 

Alan protested mildly but behaved as they helped him up the stairs to his room next door to Scott's. 

"Get the door," Scott instructed and she dived into Alan's pocket for his room key, touching it to the door pad until it beeped and she could open the door. 

Scott hauled his giggling brother into the room and dropped him unceremoniously onto the bed. Alan bounced a few times by accident, then a few more on purpose, obviously finding it softer than his customary spot on his bedroom rug. 

"Alan, don't you'll-" 

"I'm gonna puke!" 

"Fuck, Scott get him up!" 

They both scrambled to drag Alan to his feet and propel him through to the bathroom he was sharing with Scott. They got him positioned over the toilet just in time for his stomach to rebel and for him to evacuate the dinner he'd eaten earlier. 

Selene was sitting on the floor beside Alan, gently rubbing his back in soothing circles when her comm beeped and John's head popped up, his face a picture of panic. 

"Where are you all? You abandoned me!" 

"Shit, I left John with my parents!" she jumped to her feet, running out the door. "Look after the baby!" 

Scott edged into the bathroom, his nose screwing up in sympathy. 

"How you doing, little brother?" 

"I need to pee," Alan groaned, "but I don't know if I can stand upright."

"Nope,"Scott backed up out of the bathroom quickly," you're on your own there." He slammed the door shut and sank down on the end of the bed to wait. 

John met her at the door of the bar, grabbing her hand like it was a lifeline and dragging her into his arms, squashing her against his chest.

"I'm so happy to see you, please don't leave me alone with them again. Your mother wanted to know everything about me, even my blood type, I think they might be planning to murder me and make it look like an accident."

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, it was an emergency."

John was instantly alert. "What happened? Did Virgil call? Do we need to leave?" 

"No, don't look so eager, we're not leaving." She looked over his shoulder, checking on the others. Grandma and her Mum were deep in conversation and they appeared to be showing each other pictures on their phones. Jeff was talking to her dad, who seemed to be hanging on his every word, gazing at Jeff like he was the most fascinating man in the world. Kayo was nowhere to be seen, but that wasn't unusual, neither was Adam, again, not that unusual, but the fact that they were both missing probably needed more investigation. Selene pushed that thought aside as a tomorrow problem. 

Confident that no one was watching them, she tugged John further from the doorway, tucking themselves into a quiet corner away from the flow of traffic. 

"Alan's drunk as a skunk and throwing up in his bathroom."

John blinked. "He's what now?" 

"Drunk, but Scott's with him. It seems that when Adam asked what he wanted to drink, he took Alan's request for a beer seriously."

John closed his eyes, his forehead resting against hers as he sighed in utter defeat. "I give up. I just give up. We will never have a normal moment."

"Well, you did ask me to marry you when you already knew I was crazy, so it's kinda your fault too."

He opened one eye to look at her. She grinned back. The other eye opened. She kissed his nose. 

"Do we at least have five minutes before we have to go and help Scott?" 

"Probably not." 

"I don't care." 

His hand came up to cup the nape of her neck, fingers twisting in her hair as he lowered his head for a kiss. 

Her lips were right there to meet his, the stress of the last few days fading away, the world narrowing to nothing but the two of them. She melted against him, her arms sliding around his neck, deepening the kiss. It felt so good to just take a moment together, to forget about everything and anyone but them. 

***

"How's he doing?" John asked Scott when he and Selene made their way up to Alan's room a few minutes later. 

Scott tucked his phone back into his pocket. "He needed to pee so I left him to it."

"How long ago was that? Has he thrown up again?" Selene had already crossed the room to knock on the closed door. "Allie, sweetie, you OK in there?" 

Silence. 

"Alan?" she knocked again. 

Nothing. 

"Scott?" she moved aside, letting him try. Scott was less subtle than her, his fist thumping on the door. 

"Alan?" 

He waited a few moments then opened the door. 

"Where is he?" Selene demanded to know, peering over Scott's shoulder. 

"I don't know." Alan, it seemed, had recovered a little and let himself out of the bathroom, but into Scott's room instead of his own.

All three of them rushed through the bathroom and into Scott's room, John spotting the open door first. They all looked out into the hallway as if they were hoping to see something else, unable to believe what they were seeing. 

"He got away."

"We lost Alan."

"A drunk Alan," John felt the need to clarify. 

"Crap!" Selene took off running, the other two bringing up the rear. 

She didn't want to yell for him and risk disturbing the peace of the other guests, or alerting the hotel to the fact that he was loose, but they still needed to find him. 

Not holding out much hope of finding him by traditional means, John flicked on his comm, hoping and praying that Alan hadn't left his in his room. 

They all breathed a sigh of relief when they found a signal, heading rapidly away from the hotel. 

"He's outside, how did he get that much of a head start?" Scott asked. "How did he sneak past you two?" 

Selene and John exchanged a guilty glance. 

"We might have been slightly distracted," Selene admitted. "But just for a minute or two."

"More like ten," John added helpfully. 

Scott rolled his eyes. "Animals have more self control than you two."

"Hey, it's not like we were doing anything bad, I only wanted a little kiss. Anyway, you were the one that lost him," Selene shot back. 

"Let's not start laying blame," Scott soothed, backtracking smoothly. "We just need to find him. Sel, you know London better than us, you lead the way."

They calculated that Alan had about a fifteen minute head start on them, which shouldn't be that big a deal considering they were sober and he was not, but Alan was a law unto himself and seemed to have taken off with the speed of a jack rabbit. 

He appeared to be zig zagging here and there, quite randomly, with no rhyme or reason and Selene had given up on trying to navigate. Honestly, she could get lost going to the bathroom so would likely have been more of a hindrance than a help anyway. 

"There!" John pointed to the comm Selene had returned to him, "He's down there somewhere, he's stopped moving."

"Great, let's grab him and get him back before Dad realises we've all vanished."

"Any chance we could…take a cab?" Selene huffed, doubled over, her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath, glaring at John and Scott who were acting like they were out for a relaxed stroll, rather than a mad dash around Kensington. 

"No time, come on!" 

"I hate you all."

They jogged along, the roads around them slowly changing from retail to residential the further they got from the hotel, the hustle and bustle of the heart of Kensington giving way to the quiet splendor of beautiful homes and gardens. 

"Left," John instructed and they turned as one, following his directions to the letter. "Left again."

"I hear him!" Scott broke into a run. 

"I'm so sick of running!" 

John grabbed her hand, towing her along as they followed the sound of Alan's enthusiastic yelling. 

Selene and John rounded the corner, stopping dead at the sight that greeted them. Alan was standing outside a grand victorian mansion house, which in itself wasn't too bad, but he was also waving a pool noodle, holding a trash can lid like a shield and yelling at the top of his lungs. 

"Your highness! Your highness!" 

Selene sagged against a nearby wall, her heart pounding, her lungs struggling to keep up with the unaccustomed strain she had put on them. 

"What the ever loving fuck is he doing?" she groaned to no one in particular, it wasn't like his brothers had any more of a clue than she did. 

"Your highness, it is I, Alonius, Sage Knight of the seven realms. I demand an audience with you! I am worthy!" 

"Alan!" Scott yelled. "Shut up! You'll wake up the whole neighbourhood."

"I am worthy! I deserve this! Knight me so that I may be a Knight of this, the Eighth Realm!" 

"Alan!" Selene ran over to help. "Sweetie, what are you doing?" 

She reached for him but he dodged out of the way, brandishing the noodle like it was a sword. He had a small collection of objects on the floor at his feet, including three leaves, a traffic cone, a shoe, a flower pot, what looked like a half eaten burger, and a can of beer, all of which he was standing over protectively like a dragon with its gold. 

"Back, back I say vile witch! You will not curse me this night, I am wise to your wicked plans. You will not take my offerings!" 

"Vile witch?" Selene gasped. "John! Did you hear what he called me?" 

"Alan, what the hell?" John started forwards, ready to defend his woman. 

Alan swung his arm, booping John's head with the pool noodle. "Back, minion most foul!"

Scott snorted, his hand pressed hard to his mouth, trying desperately to hold in his laughter. 

"Allie," Selene tried again, but he was too quick for her. Dropping the noodle he darted sideways, flung the metal lid in Scott's direction and with a surprising show of coordination, leapt at a lamp post, scaling it like a gym rope. 

Scott had lost all control and was doubled over laughing, the lid at his feet. 

"Aid, I require aid! I demand my prize! I have proved my loyalty, defended your lands from these odious Blogwarts. Knight me!" 

"For the love of-" 

"Your highness! YOUR HIGHNESSSS. I REQUEST YOUR AID TO COMPLETE MY QUEST." 

"Alan get down!" John made a grab for his ankle but Alan kicked himself free. 

"Where is my steed? Where did I park my 'bird? I have a spaceship, I'm an astronaut! I'm worthy!" Alan flung out his arms and tipped backwards, only his legs around the pole keeping him anchored. He grabbed the pole with one arm for stability but continued to wave his other hand like he was conducting an orchestra. 

A light flicked on in the house and a moment later a window was thrown open. A sleepy looking man stuck his head out, his phone in his hand. 

"It's past ten o' clock! Why are you yelling outside my house? I've got work in the morning."

"I'm so sorry," Selene called up to him. "Our brother just had one too many and he's a little worse for wear."

"I'm calling the police."

"No, don't do that, please. He's not hurting anyone."

"He's climbing a lamppost and waking the whole place!"

"Your highness, my liege!" Alan scrambled to get down, almost squashing John as he slid the last metre.

"Alan, are you OK?" 

"Tis but a quest wound!" 

John groaned, noticing that no one had bothered to ask if he was alright. 

Alan staggered to his feet and stumbled forward a few steps. "My king! I have crossed many oceans to find you. I seek an audience."

"Is he high?" the man's thumb hovered over his phone screen. Alan dropped to his knees, bowing low to the floor. 

"With mystic blades and firey ore, we pledge our honoured best!" 

"No, he's not! Alan get up!" 

"Many shall fall for only a noble few will pass the test!" 

"Scott, stop laughing and help me!" Selene grabbed Alan's arm and tried to haul him upright. 

"So come more worthy heroes and bring forth the cavern quest!" Alan finished triumphantly. 

Selene succeeded in dragging him to his feet, passing him off to John. 

Alan started to flail. "Unhand me, foul beast!" 

"Your brother you say?" the man squinted down at them. "He doesn't seem to like you that much. How do I know you aren't kidnapping him or something?"

Selene's hands went to her hips, the universal sign that she was getting pissed off. 

"Would you want to kidnap him? Seriously?" 

"Fate has dealt me a sordid blow!" 

The guy looked at Alan, currently being held in a headlock by Scott, and then back to Selene. 

"Just get him out of here. If I see him again I'll call the old bill, make no mistake."

"You won't, we're leaving. Goodnight!" 

"Unhand me, mortal vanquisher!" 

They propelled Alan away from the house, Selene managing to carry his pool noodle, the traffic cone and the flower pot, followed along behind. Alan has ceased his struggles now that John and Scott had an arm each and had sagged between them, his feet dragging on the floor. 

"I'm gonna puke!" 

"Not on my shoes!" Scott, losing all patience, shoved Alan head first into a bush just in time for his stomach to regurgitate the burger he had eaten on his jaunt. They waited until he'd stopped dry heaving and stood him up again. 

"Now can we get a cab?" 

***

John grunted when an exhausted Selene dropped down on top of him, not even giving him a chance to get comfortable in the luxurious bed. 

Alan had fallen asleep with his head in Selene's lap as soon as they had gotten him seated in the taxi, obviously her vileness didn't count when he wanted cuddles and soothing, his head apparently killing him. 

They had gotten Alan back to the hotel, managed to sneak him past the bar and settled him in bed where he had immediately fallen into a deep sleep. John had set Alan's comm next to the bed, giving EOS strict instructions to alert them if he woke up or tried to leave the room again. Once the baby was taken care of they had gone back to the bar for a much needed drink and to check on the parents. 

Thankfully, everything seemed to be going well. Jeff and Rufus were laughing like old friends, especially now that Rufus had apparently gotten over his awe at meeting Jeff Tracy and stopped acting star struck. 

Grandma and Celia were still happily chatting when Selene, John and Scott joined them. Adam and Kayo were still missing. 

"Oh, here are the kids!" Celia got to her feet, wobbled tipsily and threw her arms around John, who stiffened in shock. "Such a good boy, and so handsome." John winced as she pinched his chin between her fingers and lifted his face, twisting his head this way and that to look at him fully. "Look at those eyes!" 

Selene sniggered, it appeared her mum had gotten over her disappointment that John didn't have dimples. "Mum, please don't break him, I kinda like that face."

"Sally's told me all about how wonderful you all are, and shown me lots of pictures. I especially liked that one of you in that little astronaut hat and no trousers."

Scott snorted in amusement, hiding his face against Selene's shoulder, trying to muffle his laughter. She patted his back in solidarity. 

"Mum, it's a helmet, not a hat, though I think I need to see this picture, just to be sure."

"No, you don't," John insisted, his face bright red, either from embarrassment or because her mum had been flinging it around, it was hard to tell. 

"Nice of you to join us," Jeff smiled, although Selene could see the dark circles under his eyes and the tired lines that marred his forehead. It reminded her that, no matter how fit and healthy he appeared, Jeff was still recovering from his time in space and needed regular rest breaks. "Say, where's Alan?" 

Selene rescued John from her mother's clutches, much to his gratitude , depositing him in a free chair and perching herself on his lap for protection. 

"He was feeling a bit tired so we packed him off to bed and went for a little wander in the grounds, it was getting a bit stuffy in here," Scott lied smoothly, picking up his abandoned beer and taking a hearty swig. 

"Shall we have one last drink?" Rufus suggested, but Selene stopped him. 

"No thanks, Dad. We'd love to, but I'm sure I can speak for all of us when I say that a switch in time zones is never easy and we're all exhausted. We really need to get some rest."

"But we'll see you all in the morning for breakfast, right?" Celia pressed. 

"You sure will," Jeff promised her. 

"It was so nice to meet you all," Celia gushed, her eyes sparkling with emotion. 

"You're a good man, Jeff Tracy," Rufus grinned in that slightly goofy way that drunk people often had, clapping a clumsy hand to Jeff's shoulder. 

"Yeah, off to bed with you two," Selene laughed, attempting to nudge her parents out of their chairs but not succeeding. 

"No, wait!" Rufus dug his heels in, refusing to be herded anywhere. "Come here, lad."

John got up and shuffled over like he was going to the gallows. Rufus stood up to meet him. 

"Yes, sir?" 

"Such a polite boy!" Celia cooed, utterly enchanted. "So sweet and well mannered."

"We're trusting you with our daughter, don't let us down."

"Daddy-" Selene warned. 

John lifted his head, meeting the older man's gaze unblinkingly. "You never have to worry about her, I promise you, I'll look after her."

Rufus nodded, John getting the same shoulder slap as Jeff. "Then you have my blessing, son. I give her to your care."

"You've raised some amazing boys there, Jeff, Sally," Celia sighed, gazing lovingly at the way her daughter has automatically gravitated back into the fold of her second family the moment her husband had released their future son-in-law. 

"And you've raised a wonderful daughter," Jeff assured her, "I haven't known her long, but I've seen enough to know that my son is very lucky."

"We did alright with her," Rufus smiled at his daughter, who blew him a kiss in return, not taking the comment seriously. John was beginning to see where her teasing nature came from. 

"I can't wait to meet the other two, they sound like such nice boys," Celia continued as if no one had spoken. "Five boys, you must be so proud."

"Oh, I am," Jeff agreed. "They're a handful, but I wouldn't change them for the world."

"You should come and stay with us, meet Virgil and Gordon," Sally offered. 

"Before the wedding?" Celia clarified. "We can help them plan it together. Like we said earlier, youngsters these days don't have a clue how to organise things properly. If I know my daughter she'll leave everything to the last minute and try to turn up in one of her horror gowns at midnight. No, we can't be having that, we need to help them for their own good."

"Mum, I've already told you, we don't want a big wedding. I don't want a massive family affair with one of Aunty Cynthia's center pieces and Great-Grandma Dotty's old blue garter. 

"You don't need Cynthia's smelly old silk flowers, I'm sure we can find something much nicer, can't we, Sally? Just leave it to us, you won't have to worry about a thing."

"Mum, no we-" Selene was pulled into her father's arms, crushed against his chest in one of his famous bear hugs. 

"Just let your mother have her moment, just for a little while."

"But, dad-" 

"You don't have to let her have a say in everything, just let her help, you know how she loves to arrange things and follow a list."

Selene nodded, giving in gracefully for now, not wanting to spoil the evening with an argument that might upset her mother. 

"Good girl." He hugged her again. "It's just because we love you, kitten."

"I know, I love you too, Daddy."

"It's just nice to see you so happy," her mother added. 

"You did good, baby girl. You've got yourself a good one there," Rufus whispered in her ear. "Be happy."

"I know I have and I will," Selene whispered back, kissing Rufus's hairy cheek, then her mother's smoothly powdered one. Rufus gave her one last squeeze then released her to John. 

"Let me just get a quick picture or two," Celia dug her phone out of her handbag and they all dutifully followed her commands until she had pictures of Selene and John, Selene and Scott, Scott and John, Selene sandwiched between Scott and John, Selene with Jeff and Grandma, Rufus and Jeff, an awkwardly angled selfie of herself with Grandma, insisting on Selene taking one of her and Jeff, herself with Jeff and Rufus and finally Selene with Rufus and John. 

It was a happy and relaxed band that said their final goodnights, exchanged many hugs and trooped off to their respective rooms. 

John's fingers wound their way through her hair as they so often did, unconsciously seeking comfort and relaxation in the stroking of the soft strands, her head nestled against the curve of his shoulder. They automatically shifted a little, getting comfortable, gravitating into their normal sleeping positions, Selene moving to tuck into his side, her arm going around his middle. 

"That didn't go as badly as I expected," Selene broke their comfortable silence. "I knew they would love you as soon as they got to know you."

"Your brother is terrifying."

Selene giggled. "No he's not, I'm the terrifying one in the family, he can just be a little unnerving if you aren't used to him."

"Sweetheart, unnerving is an understatement."

Selene lifted her head to look at him. 

"Did he say something to you? Oh!" she sat bolt upright, taking his hand that was still tangled in her hair, with her. "Did he threaten you? I'll kill him!" 

John gently released his fingers from their prison and sat up too, picking up her hairbrush from the bedside table. She turned her back to him, allowing him to carefully ease the brush through the wild mass that her long hair had become. 

"I'm waiting."

John smiled to himself, used to her bossy tone but knowing she didn't really mean it. 

"No, he didn't threaten me, but we did have words."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that he was testing my loyalty to you."

Selene sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Yeah, I figured as much. But obviously you passed, because you're you and amazing."

John set the brush down and swept the hair back from her shoulder to place a gentle kiss on her neck, loving the way she shivered in response. "Obviously."

"Mum and Dad loved you too, and it takes a lot to impress them."

"I liked them too, they're a little full on, but they're your parents so I expected nothing less."

"Yes, because your family is so quiet and reserved," Selene shot back, turning her head to steal a kiss. 

"Just how tired are you?" she asked hopefully. 

"Not that tired."

He pulled her closer, his lips finding hers. 

***

Selene groaned, pulling the sheets up to cover her head in the vague hope that it would drown out the sound of a comm beeping. 

John stirred, reaching automatically for his comm, bringing it up to answer it. 

"Yes?" 

Scott's torso appeared, his face and tone serious. 

"John, can you meet me in the hall?" 

"The hall?" 

Scott nodded. "Now." Scott vanished before John could ask any more questions. 

Frowning, John slipped out of bed and quickly dragged on a pair of track pants and a t-shirt. 

"What's wrong? Where are you going?" Selene's sleepy face emerged from the blankets, eyes full of concern. 

"Scott needs to see me, don't worry, go back to sleep, it's still early."

"You sure?" 

"Of course. I won't be long, keep the bed warm for me."

She smiled, already snuggling back into the covers. "Don't be too long or I'll be forced to come and find you."

John opened the door quietly, finding both Scott and his father waiting for him. 

"What's wrong? Is everything OK? Is Alan alright?" John asked, his every instinct on full alert, screaming at him that something was wrong. 

"Alan's fine, still sleeping," Scott assured him.

"Then what?" 

"Son," Jeff started, but John's attention was caught by movement down the hall. Grandma was standing with Celia, her arms around Selene's mother, who was silently crying, her shoulders shaking. 

"What's going on?" Selene's voice startled them, having apparently followed him after all. Her eyes landed on her mother. 

"Mum?" 

"Selly," Scott reached for her, his blue eyes downcast, sorrowful. She batted his hand away, dodging around them to race down the hall, the others following behind her. 

Loud noises could be heard from her parents room, the sound of rapidly squeaking bed springs and voices shouting orders to each other. 

"Dad?" Selene stopped in the open doorway, the scene before her like something out of a movie, her eyes incapable of processing what they were seeing. 

A swarm of paramedics surrounded the bed, one rapidly pumping her father's chest, another trying desperately to get a line into the back of his hand, another monitoring the med-scanner they had stuck to his shoulder while another stood off to the side, holding an oxygen mask at the ready. 

"Still no output."

"It's been ten minutes, time unknown before that." 

John took hold of her hand, trying to pull her away from the room. She grabbed the door handle, refusing to let go, craning her neck to see around the paramedic blocking her way. 

"No! Let me go! Dad! DAD!" 

"No output." 

The sound of squeaking stopped. 

"Call it?" 

"Call it. Time of death, 6:47am."

Selene sagged against the door frame, her eyes wide with horror, her head shaking in wordless denial.

Her father was laying on the left side of the bed, he could never sleep on the right, his blue pyjama shirt, the ones she had gotten him for his birthday, spread open. His eyes were closed, his glasses on the bedside table where he always left them. He looked peaceful, as if he were in a deep, restful sleep although she knew he wasn't. The walls weren't rattling with his loud snores, a sleeping warthog, her mother always called him. His chest was still, his breathing forever silenced. 

"Daddy?" 

Her father, the one who had soothed her scraped knees, fixed her broken toys, threatened dire consequences to any boy who dared upset her, but who had done nothing but hold her when she shed tears of heartbreak when they inevitably did. He was the one she had relied on to fix everything and make it better, because that's what dads did. But there was no fixing this. Her dad, her first and forever hero, was gone. 

She didn't feel John's arms encircling her. Didn't register when he picked her up, hugging her to his chest as he moved her away. She didn't feel Scott's arms go around her and John, sandwiching her protectively between the two people she was closest to. She didn't hear their hushed voices. All she could think about was the fact that she would never see her dad again.


	39. Once a father, always a father.

Jeff watched the way his family had gravitated to Selene, the way they crowded around her, offering her silent support in one of her darkest hours. He could see now what John had meant when he had said that they all adored her. 

His middle son was front and center for once, his arms wrapped around her waist as she took comfort in his embrace, leaning back against his chest. Behind them stood his two eldest, each with a hand resting protectively on her shoulders, and his two youngest flanked her, one on each side, both holding a hand. 

She was holding it together, just as she had been every day since the morning of Rufus's passing, throwing herself into organising the perfect funeral. Looking at her now, her chin raised determinedly, her eyes clear and dry, focused on the spot in front of her where the curtains were closing around her father's coffin, you'd think that she was fine, but Jeff knew different. 

He hadn't known her long, but since his return to earth he'd found himself noticing things that he'd taken for granted before. He picked up subtle clues as to a person's mood by their body language, the way their eyes moved, the set of their shoulders. 

He noticed the stiff way she held herself, the way her fingers tightened around Gordon and Alan's, the way her head tipped to the side to rest her cheek against Scott's hand on her shoulder. Throughout it all she hadn't said a word, had kept a tight lid on her emotions, and he knew it was just a matter of time before she cracked. She was coping for now by avoiding talking about anything negative, likely avoiding thinking too, but that couldn't last forever. 

Selene's brother and mother stood beside the Tracy bundle, Adam's arm around Celia's shoulders, the previously outspoken woman now a shell of herself, her face buried in her handkerchief. 

Jeff had a sudden and very unwelcome memory of a similar ceremony, remembering the pain he had felt when he had buried both his father and his beloved wife. On the heels of that came the realisation that his sons and mother had likely been through the same with him, though without a body to bury. 

They knew, perhaps better than anyone, that life could change in an instant, one moment you were alive and the next your life could be snuffed out, either from illness, injury or in Rufus's case, a sudden and fatal heart attack in his sleep. The thought that someone so loud and lively could go happily to bed and not wake up the next morning was hard to get your head around. 

Jeff knew that had been given a second chance at life, he had come back from the dead. It just made him all the more determined to continue their mission to give as much help to those in need as possible, if they could prevent just one family from feeling the same pain as his daughter-in-law did now, then it was worth it. 

It had been a lovely ceremony, which Sally had stepped in to help organise and Jeff had insisted on covering the cost of, refusing to listen to any arguments to the contrary. He had the money, they were now family and if he could have done more he would have in a heartbeat. 

He patted his mother's shoulder as she discreetly wiped her eyes. Penelope, Parker, Brians and Kayo were still seated in the pews of the little church, apparently the same one that Celia and Rufus had married in thirty-two years before. 

Other members of the Tempest family were squashed into the remaining seats, a sea of people that had come to honour the passing of someone that had been important to them all. 

Selene had responded politely to various relations and family friends as they had trickled into the church, but her hugs lacked their usual warmth, she held herself stiffly apart from them and broke contact as soon as she could. 

Troy had attempted to talk to her, but she'd stuck to generic answers and had escaped the conversation as soon as possible. Even Gordon had put aside his hostility towards the daring submarine Captain to talk to him and answer his questions regarding Selene and her father. 

Rufus's wake had been a less somber affair than Jeff had expected, the family sharing laughter and stories about the things he had done or said over the years, but Selene didn't seem to have any desire to join in. She sat quietly in a corner, John beside her, and kept to herself. 

She had accepted the food that Virgil brought over for her but after picking up various morsels and discarding them still untasted, she had pushed the plate aside. 

She'd smiled at Gordon when he'd brought her a bottle of her favourite cider, but after one sip she'd left it untouched. 

Jeff had invited Adam and Celia to join them for a visit but they had politely declined, Celia wanting to stay somewhere where she was surrounded by her memories and reminders of her husband. Selene had wanted to be with John and even though he had offered to stay with her at her parents house, she had refused.

She'd been silent on the flight home which was so unlike her that each and every one of them was worried, but none more so than John and Scott. 

In the two days after the funeral Selene had withdrawn even more, often taking off by herself for a walk around the island, something she never normally did. She was forever bugging them to go with her, to keep her company, to chat to her, to spend time with her. But not this time. She would wander off in the middle of the night, or early in the morning, leaving John asleep, unable to settle for any length of time. The simple act of moving was soothing for her, it gave her a focus, took her mind off the thoughts and memories that she was only just keeping at bay. 

***

It was ridiculously early when Jeff entered the lounge, still finding it hard to train his body and mind into a regular sleep routine, yet John and Scott were already there, talking quietly over cups of coffee. They had spare cups and the coffee pot on the table in front of them and Scott poured Jeff one, sliding it over as their dad took a seat. 

"Thanks," he took a grateful sip. "Everyone else in bed I take it?" 

"Selene's been up for an hour or so, she's not been sleeping much, she didn't say where she was going."

"Don't you think that one of you should go and find her?" 

Scott shook his head. "We've tried, Dad, there's no point at the moment, she doesn't want to talk, she wants to be left alone."

Jeff drained half his coffee, needing the caffeine, hoping it would make him feel a little more human. "What she wants and what she needs are two different things. How many times have you heard her say that?" 

"Too many to count," John admitted. 

"Sometimes you have to make someone do something they don't want to for their own good."

"How do we do that? We can't force her to open up if she doesn't want to. She's just lost her father, we don't want to make her feel worse, we know what that's like," Scott explained. 

"You boys are too soft with her."

"Now wait a minute, that's not fair," Scott protested. "No matter what we tell her it doesn't change the fact that, yes we went through losing our father, but we got you back. She won't have that luxury."

"I didn't mean it negatively, don't get riled up," Jeff soothed. "I meant that you two are too close to her, naturally you don't want to hurt her, I understand that. But it also means that you won't push her like she needs."

Both of his sons stared back at him, waiting for him to finish making his point. Jeff drained his mug and replaced it on the tray before he continued. 

"I might not have known her long, but I know that she's a very emotionally driven person, her shutting down like this is not going to do her any good in the long term. The longer it continues the longer it will take her to start healing."

"Then how do we help her?" John wanted to know. 

"You don't have to do anything," Jeff hauled his tired self to his feet. "I do."

"You?" John hadn't meant for it to come out with such a tone of disbelief but he couldn't take it back now. 

"Yes, me."

Scott and John exchanged glances. 

"I might not have had a daughter, but I'm still a father, and that's what she needs right now," Jeff insisted. "Don't worry, she'll be fine, I'll make sure of it."

***

Selene didn't have her comm on her, but it wasn't hard to find her, the whole house being wired with CC-TV and alarms on most of the outside doors, as well as many of the doors that led to different areas of the island, a security measure he had insisted on. 

He checked the household log and found that she had let herself into the Cliff House guest accommodation just over an hour before. 

Jeff took the quicker route of going through Two's hanger rather than the long way around the Villa. He found her sitting out in the patio deck, her legs dangling down beneath the railing. She was gazing out past Two's runway to the sea where the sun was just beginning to colour the horizon, although with it facing west, it was usually chosen for its glorious view of the sunset. Jeff cleared his throat loudly, announcing his presence. 

Selene jumped out of her skin, having been so lost in her own thoughts she hadn't heard his footsteps coming up behind her. Her gifts, which usually allowed her to feel the presence of another, apparently failing her miserably. 

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you, I just saw you up here and wondered if I could join you?" 

Selene shrugged, turning back to her view. "It's your island, I can hardly so no, can I?" 

"Would you say no?" 

"Probably," she answered honestly. "I'm not very good company right now."

Jeff didn't give her a chance to actually say no. He dragged over a chair and sat down near her, careful not to crowd her and he waited. 

The sea below was tinged orange with the rising sun and once again Jeff was awestruck by the sheer beauty and wonder of a sight that he had never thought he'd ever see again. Unfortunately he seemed like the only one appreciating the spectacle, Selene was staring blankly, not a hint of expression or enjoyment on her usually expressive face. 

"Are you alright? Do you want to talk?" 

"I'm fine."

"I don't believe you."

Selene didn't even turn to look at him. 

"That's up to you, I don't care what you believe."

"Selene, you're not fine."

"Yes, I am."

"Fine, you might be, but do you know who isn't? My boys, my mother. Your fiancé and your best friend, they aren't OK."

"Of course they are, why wouldn't they be?" 

"Because they love you, and they are worried about you. You might be grieving, but they are grieving for you. Especially John, you're shutting him out, which for him is a big thing. You forced him to open up and now you're acting like you don't care about him."

She finally turned to look at him. 

"Of course I care about him, I love him, he's the only thing that I do give a shit about right now." 

One of Jeff's eyebrows rose in surprise. That was something he'd never thought he'd hear her say. That just wasn't Selene. The first thing he'd learnt about her was that she cared about everything and everyone, perhaps too much most days. She was always trying to fix things and help people, she was their emotional support witch. 

She had taken on a very active role in his recovery, making him nourishing, health support food every day, researching the kind of supplements his body needed and how best to build up his strength slowly over time so as not to do more harm than good. She had accompanied him on short walks, exploring a different part of the island every day, insisting that it was for her benefit more than his because she'd not had much of a chance to see all her new home had to offer, but he knew it was because she worried about him. She had done everything she could to let him keep control over his life while gently pushing him to get better, and now he had to do the same for her. 

It was Selene that always seemed to sense when he needed a break, when he was feeling overwhelmed or crowded and made sure that he got the peace he needed. Or when the opposite was true and he needed more support and company, she was the one that was always there. She really did seem to have a sixth sense when it came to the needs of others. 

He'd watched how she was with his boys, how she always checked on them after a rescue, instinctively knowing exactly what they needed and when. So for her to actually admit that she didn't care, that was big and it was wrong. 

"What do you mean, you care about everything? You feel for everyone."

Selene shrugged vaguely, turning back to the sea view. "That's exactly the problem, I don't."

"Pardon?"

"I don't feel anything right now." Selene repeated, her tone one of quiet acceptance. Scooting back from the edge she dragged her legs out from under the railing, getting to her feet. 

"I don't feel anything or anyone and quite honestly I like it, it's better this way. I don't want to feel, I don't want to think." 

"Selene," Jeff sighed. "I know that you think that's the best way to be, but you can't continue this way." 

"Says who?" Her arms crossed defensively. 

"Me, and I'm talking from experience. I thought the same way as you, that running away and ignoring the pain was the right way to handle my grief. But it wasn't. You have to let it out, you have to face it." 

"That's the problem, I'm not feeling grief, I'm not feeling anything and I don't know why! I should be feeling something, shouldn't I? I should be going out of my mind with grief, I should be a sobbing mess. But I'm not, I'm numb! I walk around this house and I don't feel anything! No comforting presences, no sense of home, no love. Nothing."

Jeff let her ramble, let her pace the patio. She needed to let everything out, no matter how much she might think she couldn't. 

"I don't feel right, I don't feel like me! I should feel something! But I don't. I feel empty, like I'm blocked. All the things I've relied on my whole life, my senses, my gifts, my dad, they've all abandoned me!" 

"Your dad didn't abandon you," Jeff started, but she cut him off. 

"No, he didn't, he died. If he had left me I would have the right to be angry about it. But he didn't, my dad died. My dad, he died, while I was asleep down the hall. My dad had died and I didn't know. How could I not have known. Jeff? How could I have not felt it? What if he came to me and I was asleep and I didn't see him?" Selene's voice had risen steadily with each passing word, taking on a hysterical tone. 

"What if he needed me and I wasn't there? What if he was right there, wanting to say goodbye to me and I robbed him of that chance? I wasted that chance to talk to my father for the last time and I can't undo that! What's the good of having these stupid gifts if they don't help me when I need them?"

Jeff didn't know what to say and for a second he wondered if he hadn't been a tad over confident when he had promised his sons that he would help their girl. He didn't know anything of the things she was ranting about, powers, gifts, they were all alien to him. He dealt in facts, he dealt in things that he could see, touch, hear, smell, things that were concrete and real. 

He took a deep breath, summoning up that core of inner strength that had kept him going through eight years of survival in deep space. He might not know anything about her world, but she was in his and he wouldn't let her down. 

"Selene, you can't blame yourself for this."

"Then who can I blame? He didn't deserve to die." 

"No one deserves to die, but when it's their time-" 

"No!" she exploded. "Don't you dare pull that fucking shit on me, don't you dare. I know that line, I parrot that line every fucking time someone comes to me when they've lost someone. I feed them that bullshit and I tell them it's going to get better, that it'll be alright. But it won' t, it won't be alright, nothing will ever be right again!"

"It will, I promise you, it will get better. It won't be right but it will be easier," Jeff promised her. 

"I'll tell you what's not right!" Selene rounded on him. "What's not right is the fact that my dad is dead. He was happy that night, so happy. And he was a good person, he lived a good life, a safe life, he never did anything dangerous, he never took stupid risks." 

Finally she was feeling something, even if it was anger. 

"Not like us, we put our lives on the line every day to save people that take stupid risks and we save them!" she raged. 

Selene let out a scream of pure rage, the noise rattling the windows of the Cliff House. But it wasn't enough. She'd done the one thing she hadn't wanted to do. She'd let herself think. Before she had been numb, now she was angry. So angry that she didn't know how to cope. 

Her eyes darted here and there, desperately searching for something, anything… an ashtray on the patio table was the first thing to hand and was soon flying over the balcony to smash onto the runway below. A chair followed, not sailing as far or as high but impressive in its trajectory nonetheless. 

She grabbed for the large umbrella, still folded in its stand but Jeff stopped her, not because he cared about any of the things she was destroying, she could smash up the entire house if she wanted, but he knew it wouldn't do any good. It might make her feel better, but it would be temporary and then she'd feel worse, faced with the physical evidence of her loss. 

He caught hold of her arm, using it to tug her closer. 

"No!" she screamed. "Let me go! Don't touch me."

"Selene-"

"No! No!" 

Jeff did the only thing he could think of. He wrapped his arms around her. She went wild, her arms flailing as she tried to break his hold, her hands balled into fists that rained down on his chest and shoulders. 

"Why did he have to die? Why do we have to save other people when no one could save him? Why is he gone?" 

Jeff tightened his arms, pulling her against his chest and squeezing her hard. Her hands slapped at his shoulders, his back but he didn't let up, keeping the pressure on her. 

"Why did this happen? I don't want to feel this, I don't want this to hurt so much." 

"I know, and I'm sorry." 

She sagged in his arms, all the fight leaving her in a rush as she burst into tears. 

He held her as she cried, her face buried in his chest, her tears soaking through his shirt but he didn't let go. 

She sobbed as if her heart was breaking, which he guessed it was. Her whole body was shaking as the emotions she had been suppressing broke free. The barrier that had held her gifts grief bound crumbled along with her tightly held control, stealing her breath, leaving her gasping for air as the sudden rush of emotions washed over her. The sudden pain of her loss overwhelming her to the point where she was struggling to breath, struggling to cope, her heart pounding in her chest. 

Now that her senses were awake she could feel the rest of the family, feel their pain at her distress and distance, the love they had for her, along with the worry and hopelessness. They wanted to help her, but didn't know how. They felt guilt that they couldn't help her, guilt that they had their father back and that hurt them all the more. The knowledge that she had done that to them, that they were suffering because of her just made things worse. 

She turned her head, leaning against his shoulder, sucking in a few trembling breaths, trying to calm herself and get a grip on both her empathic powers and herself. 

Jeff himself was emitting a deep calming energy, compassionate and soft but with the same strong, capable feeling she got from Scott. She concentrated, focusing on Jeff, pushing aside the others as much as she could. Good, this was good, this was easier. 

Her arms wrapped slowly, tentatively around him, accepting the comfort he offered, feeling the solid strength that still resided in his too thin body. She got a sense then of how he might have been before his ordeal, of how much he had suffered and was still suffering. Immediately guilt assaulted her. 

"Oh, oh gods, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so so sorry," she stuttered. "I'm sorry, you don't need my shit on top of your own. I shouldn't be here, I should be on my own. I'm sorry!" 

Jeff frowned, loosening his arms so he could tuck a finger under her chin and lift her head, gently forcing her to look at him. 

"Where else should you be?" 

"I should be at home, I don't belong here right now, I shouldn't be dragging you all down with me." 

Jeff snorted. "Don't talk nonsense. You are home, any idiot can see you belong right here. If we'd lost someone I know you'd never go anywhere because you'd want to be there for them. So give us the chance to do the same."

"But none of you need this right now."

"No, we need you. My boys need you to be their Selene again."

"What if I can't be me again?" 

He let her go when she pushed away, taking a neatly folded handkerchief out of his pocket and offering it to her. 

She took it, looking surprised to find that she did indeed need it. She took a few more shuddering breaths as she scrubbed at her eyes, mopping up the evidence of her breakdown. 

Jeff pulled up another chair beside his own and lowered his weary body into his seat, already feeling the bruises forming where her fists had made contact with his flesh but he refused to let his discomfort show. He gestured to the spare chair, pleased when she sank down into it. 

"It's going to take time for you to start to feel like yourself again, but it will happen. And we'll be here for you for as long as it takes. You aren't going anywhere and neither are we." 

"I thought it was hard when I lost my grandparents, I thought I'd never get over it, I still don't think I have, not completely. But this is different, they were older, already so poorly, I had time to get used to the idea that they wouldn't be around much longer. Dad was fine. He was completely fine, there with us just a few hours before, he wasn't even the slightest bit sick."

Jeff sighed, feeling so weary at that moment, feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders. He knew that his boys were almost all grown up and probably didn't even need him anymore, they'd been on their own for eight years and had coped just fine, more than coped, they had flourished, yet he still felt the need to jump in and fix things for them. He supposed, as a parent that urge never went away no matter how old your children were. 

"When I lost my wife and father in the same accident, I thought I'd never see a light at the end of the tunnel. I was drowning in the darkness of loss and grief and I couldn't see a way out of it."

"What did you do? How did you deal with it?" 

"I tried to carry on as normal, but it didn't work, so I left. I felt like I had to. Every time I looked at my boys I saw a part of Lucy staring back at me. Mother seemed to be coping so much better than I was, she was so strong, the strongest woman I know, and threw herself into looking after the boys and me. I guess we gave her a purpose but I felt like I'd lost mine."

Selene had pulled her knees up against her chest and wrapped her arms around them, curling in on herself as much as was possible in a patio chair and was watching him intently, like she was waiting for some pearl of wisdom that he didn't think he could give her. 

She looked so young, innocent and lost. She didn't always wear her dark, dramatic eye makeup, in fact she hardly ever did for just hanging around the house, but she always seemed to have an air of confidence and strength to her, reminding him of a female Scott. But now, with a tired look in her eyes, pallid skin, her hair hanging limply and a defeated slump to her shoulders, she looked like a scared little girl. 

"I needed to feel like the world made sense again, because the thought that two people so important and precious to me had been stolen from my life in a matter of seconds was too much to think about. I tried to remember a time when I'd felt at peace, when I'd been able to just stop and think, and I remembered an island I'd been purposely marooned on as part of my survival training."

"This island?" she clarified, having been told the story by Scott. 

"Yes, this island, but something went wrong and I didnt make it here. I crashed on another and was injured, breaking my leg. Do you know the rest of the story?" 

"Scott said that you were found and looked after by Kayo and her dad and it was during that time that you saw a boat sinking, and that was what prompted you to do something to help others." 

"That's right, but do you know what that gave me?" 

"A headache?" 

Jeff chuckled, more than pleased to see that tiny hint of her usual cheeky humour making an appearance, albeit a brief one. "It certainly did that, many times in fact, but I was referring to the fact that it gave me a purpose. It gave me something to focus on and a goal to work towards. That's what you need, and that's what you have here with us, because there will always be someone out there that will need us, that will need you."

"No one needs me, I don't do all that rescuing stuff, I'm not the hero type."

"You do, just in your own way. We have enough of the hero type, as you put it. We have our quota of hotheads, daredevils, risk takers and hard asses , we needed a softer influence on the team, and you've brought that. I've read the mission reports, hell, I've read every mission report from the day after I got jettisoned until the day I was rescued, and I've seen some of the ways you've helped. So don't you tell me I don't need you on my team."

"What if I can't do it?" Her voice was low, barely more than a whisper, but his sensitive hearing picked it up just fine. "What if I can't deal with the pain?" Selene rubbed absently at her chest as if her heart physically hurt her. "What if this has affected me so much that I can't find it in me to help anyone ever again?" 

"I can't make up for the loss you've suffered, it will always feel like a hole in your life where a piece is missing. I can't compare to your father, but I am a father and you're marrying my son, and to me that makes you as good as my daughter. When you need a father, I'll be there."

She didn't acknowledge his offer, but he didn't mind that, he knew that she'd heard him and that she had appreciated it. 

"I don't think I'm ready to let him go yet," her voice, choked with emotion now, was so unlike the cold, disengaged tone of the past few weeks. Tears leaked from her eyes again, but they were controlled. 

"Who says you have to? We don't forget those we've lost, we remember them and we continue to live for them."

Selene nodded, dabbing her eyes with the hankie again, although this time when she looked out of the shimmering water he could see her eyes tracking the movement of the waves, saw the spark of wonder in them as a dolphin popped its head up from the depths. She'd be alright. She wasn't alone. 

"Thank you for coming to find me, and for not shouting at me when I started throwing your things, or when I punched you, or snotted on your shirt. Shit I'm such a mess, I'm so sorry, I'm a disaster."

"You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for, besides, we needed new chairs anyway, these have been here since before my extended space trip. Now," Jeff stood up, holding out a hand to her, "are you ready to go back inside and get some breakfast?" 

Selene took her time to think about it, but eventually she nodded, taking his offered hand. 

***

To say that he wasn't a little relieved to hand her over to John would have meant lying to himself, and Jeff was a big one for honesty. 

He saw the relief on the faces of his sons when they got to wrap their arms around her and have her respond, hugging them back tightly and actually being present in the moment rather than just going through the motions. 

Honestly, when he'd followed her out onto that balcony he'd had no clue what he was going to do or say, he'd just known that he had to do something. He'd not been there for his boys in the longest time and now they seemed pretty capable of dealing on their own. 

Helping Selene had been his chance to actually feel useful, to feel like he still had a purpose and a place within the family. He'd lost count of the times that he'd been about to step in and make a decision or a comment, to offer advice, but one of the others had gotten there first. Everyone deferred to Scott, even when Jeff himself was sitting there. He knew, logically, that it was a force of habit on their part and that he had no right to expect things to be any different. Yet he couldn't help but want the familiarity of the past. He'd once felt like an integral part of the operation, now he felt like a broken cog that was slowly down the whole machine. 

Was it selfish of him to have gotten a little enjoyment out of feeling needed? Should he feel so proud of the fact that he was the only one that had been able to get through to her in weeks? That even her best friend and future husband, the two people who knew her best, had struggled, yet he'd been the one to do the seemingly impossible.

"Scott, can you get us some breakfast?" Jeff asked and Scott nodded, pleased to be of some use. 

Selene was installed on the couch beside John when Scott returned with a simple meal of toast and fruit and, although she didn't eat as much as she usually would, it was still far more than she had been and was a relief for them to see. They had been worried that she would make herself ill, lack of food on top of little to no rest was a recipe for disaster. 

Jeff helped himself to some toast, chatting easily with Scott, but out of the corner of his eye he saw Selene lean closer to John. His son's arm slipped easily around her shoulders and it wasn't long before her eyes started drifting shut. 

With Scott's help John managed to settle her more comfortably on the couch, tucking a pillow under her head and covering her over with a blanket. 

They quietly left the lounge, leaving her to her rest, weeks of exhaustion finally catching up with her. 

It was more than six hours later that Jeff snuck quietly into the lounge, needing some paperwork from his desk. He'd kept everyone out of the lounge for the majority of the day, knowing she needed the peace and he couldn't trust any of his boys not to wake her. 

He glanced over to make sure she was still resting peacefully and blinked in shock. He looked again to make sure he was seeing correctly. But no, he hadn't gone mad, there really was a wolf sprawled out next to her on the couch. Her arm was around its middle and, most bizarrely of all, Armstrong was curled up on the beasts rump. 

The wolf lifted its head in acknowledgement of his presence, letting out a soft woof of greeting. Jeff moved closer. Instead of the amber eyes one would expect he was confronted with the truth. The instantly recognisable chocolate brown ones of his second son stared back at him. 

What had happened to make this a reality? None of the boys had shown any signs, he had assumed that it had skipped them just as it had their mother. Obviously he had been wrong. His mind whirled, trying to imagine how it had happened, what had gone wrong, how unprepared they had been. 

"Virgil," he started, but he didn't know where to go from there. He sighed. "We're going to have words later," he promised in a whisper. The wolf whined softly and lowered his head in defeat. Oh yes, he knew he was in trouble. 

Selene didn't seem bothered by his son's furry appearance, in fact she was treating him like a giant Teddy bear. Her face was buried in the fur at the back of his neck, her arm holding him tight, taking comfort in his warm presence. That showed him that it had to be a fairly normal occurrence, though he was beginning to wonder just what counted as normal any more where his family was concerned. But it led to the question of what other secrets they might be keeping from him. 

Shaking his head Jeff left the room, returning to the kitchen and his assembled family. 

"So, just when were you all planning to tell me that my son was a werewolf?"


	40. Thankful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter /story was written for @hedwigstalons as part of the Easter Fic gift exchange. Her prompts were  
> -Whump Scott - smother hen gets a taste of his own medicine  
> -John got to a social event and regrets it  
> \- "No, do NOT poke that."
> 
> It's set before Jeff is rescued sot he enxt chapter after this will follow on from chapter 39.

Scott groaned, the pain radiating out from his ribs to consume his entire chest. Every breath hurt, every movement was agony. He'd tried to stay still but had fallen into a fitful doze and rolled in his sleep, pressing his broken arm into his cracked ribs, the cast an unwieldy bulk under him. 

Virgil was there instantly, helping him to sit up, plumping his pillows and offering him a drink. Scott batted the straw away impatiently. 

"I still have one working arm, you know," he narrowed his eyes, regretting it almost instantly when the swollen flesh around his right eye protested, the fractured cheekbone sending a red hot jolt of pain through him. 

"Will you stop frowning, Scott. Just let me help you, you don't have to do everything by yourself."

"I don't need any help."

"Yes, you do, you'll make yourself worse."

"What can be worse than two cracked ribs, a broken arm, a twisted ankle, a fractured cheek, broken nose, stitches above his eye and bruised kidneys?" Gordon appeared as if by magic in the doorway, his cheeky young face displaying his customary grin. 

"Not helping, Gordo," Virgil growled, shoving his younger brother out of the room and slamming the door shut. 

"Thanks," Scott said begrudgingly. 

Virgil nodded then sat down on the end of the bed. 

"How is he?" Scotts voice was quiet. Everyone had been avoiding telling him anything that might cause him to try to get out of bed, but he'd been there two days and needed to know, he was going crazy worrying. 

"He's OK," Virgil answered but Scott detected the slightest hint of hesitation. 

"Bullshit. Tell me the truth."

"I am," Virgil insisted, tucking the blanket tighter around Scott's legs, as if subconsciously trying to prevent him from leaving the bed. Scott was aware of this and jerked angrily at the covers. Virgil sighed, knowing his brother was a headstrong idiot was one thing but dealing with him when he was in this kind of mood was another thing entirely. 

"How is he really?" 

Virgil was saved from answering when Grandma flung open the door to their room, nudging it open with her hip, holding a tray aloft. 

"I brought you some soup!" 

"Erm…thanks, Grandma," Scott hedged. "But I'm not feeling that hungry."

"You have to eat, you need to keep your strength up, especially with all those pain pills you've been popping, you can't take them on an empty stomach."

The tray slammed down onto his lap with more force than Virgil thought was necessary, provoking a pained grunt from Scott as the metal handle connected with a delicate, and previously undamaged, part of his anatomy. Thankfully his attackers had had enough decency to stick to the guy code and, while they would indeed kick a man while he was down, they hadn't resorted to a shot to the nuts. Probably the only part of him they hadn't stuck the boot into. 

His head still felt fuzzy, both from the pain killers and the concussion he had sustained while a number of boots made contact with his head and body. To add insult to injury, his right fist still hurt like hell from its brushes with a number of faces before he had been overpowered. 

He eyed the soup warily, sniffing at the aroma that wafted from the bowl. It actually didn't smell too bad. He poked at the bread roll with his undamaged hand and found that it was quite soft, not the rock hard lump he had been envisioning. 

"I didn't make it if that's what you're worried about," Grandma informed him, "I got it from the diner in town. Homemade chicken noodle, just not made by me."

She handed Scott the spoon and he took it in his left hand, awkwardly beginning to eat, spilling more than actually made it to his mouth. 

"Let me help with that," Virgil reached for the spoon but jumped back when Scott snatched it away. 

"Will you stop! I don't need to be fed like a child."

"Tell that to the soup dribbling down your chin."

"I'll tell it to the spoon when I shove it up your-" 

"Scott Tracy! Don't you dare finish that sentence!" 

"Sorry, Grandma."

"Your brother is just trying to help, just as you would help him."

"I know that, but-" 

"No buts, be sensible and let him help before we have to change the sheets again."

Scott felt heat flood his cheeks as he recalled the way he'd woken and been violently sick the night before, a side effect of his concussion. 

"I said I was sorry about that."

"You don't need to be sorry," Virgil soothed, "you just need to learn to accept some help every now and then."

Scott scowled but handed over the spoon and dutifully opened his mouth, allowing Virgil to spoon some soup in. 

"I swear, if you make a choo choo sound I will kick your ass no matter how much it hurts me."

"Would I do that?" 

"Yes! You did it to Gordon when he had his tonsils out last year and refused to eat anything but ice cream."

"Gordon was twelve, not twenty-one."

"I doubt that would stop you," Scott winced as the spoon knocked against his teeth. 

Grandma, satisfied that her instructions had been heeded, left them in peace. Scott, like a dog with a bone, was instantly back on track. 

"How is he really?" 

Virgil sighed, knowing that he wasn't going to get any peace until he was honest. 

"Not good, he didn't say a word the entire way back and he hasn't come out of his room since."

"It's been four days! He hasn't come out in four days?" 

Virgil shook his head. "You know how he is."

"No, this isn't just another time that he wants to be alone, this is serious. I need to see him, help me up."

"Scott, no. You're in no fit state to move, let alone walk."

"Then you'll have to help me, because I'm going."

***

John heard the knock on the door but ignored it as he had done every other knock, request for entry, offer of food and plea for him to answer, over the past few days, honestly he'd lost count of how long it had been. 

He was trying so hard to block out the echoing sounds of their jeers, their raucous laughter and the utter humiliation and horror that had followed. 

***

Jennifer Dory should never have noticed him, that had been the surprising part, he hadn't even been aware that she knew he existed. Like many of the boys at his school, he had watched her from afar, watched as she bounded around the field in her uniform, her pleated skirt bouncing with every step, every lunge, every enthusiastic star jump. She was a vision that floated through the halls with her friends trailing after her and he was just as smitten as half the school. 

The hand leaning up against his locker was neatly manicured, attached to a toned arm and a perky chest. John turned slowly, wondering what fresh hell was about to befall him. 

There she was, the object of many boys unrequited lust, staring up at him with those big doe eyes, nibbling on that pouty lower lip, pink with gloss. 

"Erm…" he couldn't even form words, his brain had stalled. 

"Hi," she smiled, her head tipped to one side, causing all her flowing blonde hair to spill over her shoulder. 

"Hi," he croaked in answer, knowing it would be rude not to, looking covertly around to make sure there was no one else she could be talking to. Nope, just him. 

"Are you busy Friday night?" 

"Me?" 

"Yes, silly," she giggled, "who else would I be talking to?" 

"Anyone but me?" Urghhh, he could have punched himself for that stupid answer, but it had slipped out before he could stop it. 

Her hand left his locker to land on his chest, nails grazing lightly as she stroked a path downwards. He swallowed, shuffling back a step, breaking contact. 

"So, Friday?" Jennifer was not one to be deterred. 

"Do you need help with studying or something?" 

"No," there was that little lip bite again, followed by a swipe of her little pink tongue, his eyes tracking the movement. "A bunch of us are going to that new bowling place in town and I need a date."

"I don't…I don't really go out," John hedged. He didn't want to be rude, but the thought of being surrounded by loud, possibly drunk, boisterous people was his idea of hell. 

She pouted prettily. "But I want you to, I won't ask again, there are plenty of others who would happily take your place. You should be grateful that I chose you."

"I am, but I-" 

"Then I'll see you at eight, Down the Lane, in town. Don't be late."

She turned on her pink sneaker clad feet and sashayed away, leaving John staring after her, wondering what exactly had just happened. He couldn't go, he just couldn't, he didn't want to. But no one ever said no to Jennifer, not if they wanted to survive the rest of their time in school. John had a hard enough time getting through the day without anyone making it worse. He'd have to go. 

Scott had insisted on driving him, promising it was because he wanted the car they shared for a date of his own, not because he wanted to know exactly where his brother was going. To say that his brothers had been shocked at his announcement would be an understatement. Virgil had questioned him on three separate occasions checking that he still wanted to go, Gordon had checked out Jennifer's social media and declared her to be out of his league, Alan had said that girls sucked and he didn't see the point and Scott was insisting that he keep his phone on and to call him if he needed anything at all. 

John hung around outside for a good few minutes before Scott marched him up to the door and shoved him through. It was just as bad as he had feared, the music thumping loud enough to make his ears ring, and so crowded he could barely move. Only his height allowed him to spot Jennifer over the mass of people. She was, as per her custom, surrounded by an adoring gaggle of fellow cheerleaders and what seemed like half the football team. 

Could he duck out now? 

"Yo! Tracy! Over here!" one of the muscle bound behemoths yelled, waving a meaty arm. John had tried to straddle the line between jock and brain but, even though he was actually pretty good at track and while he couldn't swim like Gordon he was passably fast there too, he was still seen as just a science nerd, and his inner geek was telling him to run. 

He squashed down the inner voice and wound his way slowly through the throng. He received slaps to the back, manly handshakes, finger waves from the other girls and a kiss on the cheek from Jennifer. 

John didn't find it easy to join in but he tried his best, gamely picking up a ball and sending it hurtling down the lane, hitting all but two pins on his first try. 

"Well, done, dude," Jake Gillem slapped him on the back again, making him wince. "You look like a skinny little shit but you've got some muscle on you really."

John nodded his thanks at the compliment and took a seat to watch the others have their turn. The second his butt hit the seat Jennifer was there, straddling his lap, her plump behind on his legs, her arms around his neck and her mouth fused to his. 

She was a most enthusiastic kisser, sucking at his lips like a vacuum cleaner, nipping with her teeth and thrusting her tongue ferociously in sharp little jabs. He froze, not knowing how to react to such a forceful display of affection, as well as the whoops and cheers, along with crude comments, that her friends were flinging their way. 

You can't just sit there, he lectured himself, do something. He forced himself to move, to react, his hands going to her hips, his tongue tentatively delving into the warm wetness of her mouth. Her lip gloss felt tacky, sliding stickily against his lips and he resisted the urge to pull away and wipe his mouth. She was crowding him, consuming him and he really didn't like it, but nothing on earth would make him move to stop her. This was acceptance, this was a chance at friendships and someone at school that would have his back now Virgil had left. 

"I'll take your shot shall I, Tracy? Since you're so busy and all?" Trevor Carpenter swaggered forward and took the bowling ball from the return, sending it hurtling down the lane. 

Finally the sucker fish that was attached to his face released her grip and they came apart with a wet plop, leaving him gasping for air. 

She nuzzled his neck, nipping her way up to his ear. 

"Want to get out of here? Go somewhere a little more private?" Her meaning was clear as she gave a little hip wiggle for emphasis, grinding down on his crotch. No, he really, truly didn't. In fact he'd never wanted anything less, this didn't feel right at all. 

Wolf whistles, cat calls and encouraging hound dog howls echoed around him. He was already near the bottom of the social ladder in school, and here was a chance to actually move up a few rungs. He'd never thought that someone like Jennifer would even notice him let alone want to be this up close and personal. If he bottled it now, if he walked away he'd never live it down. He'd be a laughing stock forever more.

He was sick of being the predictable one, the safe one, the reliable, steady one. He wanted to do something wild and reckless like Scott, or be smooth and romantic like Virgil, he wanted to be picked first rather than last for once. Now here he was, with the most popular, desirable girl in the school and she wanted him. It was unbelievable, he couldn't let this opportunity slide. 

His mind was spinning at a mile a minute, flip flopping back and forth, one second urging him to take this opportunity that was being offered on a plate, and the next reminding him that he'd wanted to wait, to be with someone that he had a connection with, someone he was in love with. Get a grip, he yelled at himself in his own head, love is for idiots, no one waits, no one makes it special anymore, stop being a wimp, be a man. Best to get it over with, to do what every normal lad his age would give their right arm to do. 

Decision made, he nodded and she squealed happily, jumping up from his lap and grabbing his hand to drag him out through the crowd. 

***

John grunted as his back was slammed up against a fire exit door by an enthusiastic Jennifer. Her hands were everywhere, roaming his shoulders, working the buttons of his shirt, fingers trailing the length of his chest, all the while her lips were suckered to his. 

His head was swimming with the sensations assaulting him, he didn't know what to do, how to react, so kept his hands firmly on her hips, not wanting to touch her in any way she wouldn't be comfortable with, joining in with the kissing as best he could. 

She suddenly moved, detaching herself from his lips and dropped to her knees. Oh god, what was she doing? Kissing was one thing but they were in a dirty alleyway behind a bowling alley, next to a dumpster and he just didn't want this. He didn't want to be mauled by a woman that had never even acknowledged his existence before, this wasn't how it was supposed to be. 

"Jennifer, I-" 

She grabbed at his belt, yanking it undone then popped the buttons on his jeans, reaching inside. He tensed, trying to move his hips away but he had nowhere to go, he was trapped between her and the door behind him. 

"Relax, you'll enjoy it, I'm told I'm real good at this."

He tried to get into it, he really did, he tried to relax and enjoy but his body and mind just weren't in the moment. Jennifer renewed her efforts, working him with her hands but failed to get the response she wanted. 

"I knew it," she huffed, standing up. "I knew you'd be as pathetic a loser as they all said you were."

"Wha...what?"

"You," her face twisted into a cruel mask so unlike her usual sunny smile, "are nothing but a loser. Did you honestly think someone like me would want someone like you?" She laughed, the sound harsh and cruel in the echo of the alley. 

John startled as more laughter joined hers. He turned his head to the mouth of the alley, seeing a crowd of people, a few with cell phones raised, pointing in his direction. 

"What's going on?" he fumbled to cover himself, managing to drag his pants back up, his cheeks burning. What was all this? 

More laughter, more jeering, more sneering. 

Jake sauntered over, his arm going around Jennifer, who tipped her head back, offering her lips for a kiss, lips that had, up until a few moments ago, been busy, not that he seemed to care. 

The crowd of fellow students closed in, forming a ring around John, blocking him from leaving, phones still raised. 

"You getting this?" Jake asked someone who answered in the affirmative. "Good."

***

"Virgil! Virgil!" Gordon's yell could be heard from one end of the house to the other. 

"What?" his brother popped his head in through the back door from his spot on the veranda where he had his easel set up. 

"Look at this!" Gordon held his phone up, the video playing out making Virgil's blood run cold. A group of teens surrounded his younger brother, their taunts and jeers clearly heard. 

"What's this? Where is he?" 

"It's live, someone from school is streaming it."

"We have to go get him, now! Call Scott while I get the truck."

Gordon nodded, already dialing. 

***  
Scott tore himself away from the insistent grip of Cheryl Davis, cursing the urgent ringing coming from his phone. One night! He wanted one night where he didn't have to worry about anyone but himself. Was that too much to ask? 

"Yes, Gordon, what's up?" he answered, trying to keep his annoyance out of his tone. 

"It's John."

"What? What's wrong with him?" Scott instantly snapped to attention, pushing Cheryl away impatiently as she tried to worm her hand into his shirt. 

"Check this link, I just saw it. Virgil's going now, he'll meet you there."

Gordon hung up and Scott clicked the link, his eyes widening with horror as he saw what was playing out on screen. 

There was his brother, surrounded by a braying mob of laughing, jeering, snarling teens. John was hunkered down on the dirty floor of an alleyway, his arms covering his head in an attempt to block out the crazy that was going on around him. Even through the bad quality of the live feed, for that's exactly what it was, Scott was watching it in real time, you could clearly see the violent way John was shaking, the way he was pressed against the wall as if he wanted nothing more than to sink through it to safety. 

"Out!" 

"What?" 

"Get out!" 

"You're crazy!" 

"Get out now before I throw you out. I need to get to my brother."

Cheryl huffed but did as she was told. 

"This is the last time I ever go out with you," she warned him, but Scott didn't give a shit, he already had his foot on the gas before she slammed the door shut. The car sped off, out of the drive through and onto the street. 

Virgil's truck was parked haphazardly along the kerb and Scott screeched to a halt behind it. He jumped out and raced around to the back of the bowling alley where he could hear shouting, along with the deep bass of his brother's voice yelling above the noise. 

Virgil had managed to force his way through the crowd and was now standing protectively over his brother, who wasn't moving. John's eyes were unfocused, his head bowed and the sight tore at Scott's heart. How could they do this to him? John never hurt anyone, he kept himself to himself, he never caused trouble. He didn't deserve this. 

Red hot rage descended, the blood pounding in his veins as he threw himself into the center of the mob. 

"Get away from my brothers!" 

"Scott, no!" 

"Get him out of here, Virg."

"But l-" 

"No! Just help him."

Virgil reluctantly turned to John, trying to get him to move. Scott rounded on the crowd. 

"What the fuck do you think you are doing? What is wrong with you all? Do you think this is funny?"

Virgil gave up trying to break through the shock that rode John and hauled him to his feet, practically dragging him out of the alley. Once at the truck he wrestled his almost catatonic brother into the back of his truck. 

"John? What happened, what did they do?" 

Nothing. 

"John? Are you listening to me? 

Still no answer. Virgil could hear the sound of yelling growing louder, hear thumps and muffled bangs. He needed to be there, to stop Scott doing anything crazy. 

"I'm going back for Scott, stay here." He didn't know why he said it, John wasn't going anywhere, he was staring at nothing, his breathing harsh and ragged, close to hyperventilating. Virgil sighed and closed the door carefully, not wanting to make John jump with a loud bang. 

He jogged back to fetch Scott, coming to a halt as the entire pack of teens poured out of the alley and ran off down the road. 

"Scott?" Virgil rounded the corner and stopped dead. 

***

"Answer me! Why have you done this to my brother? He's never done anything to you!" 

"He's a loser. He didn't need to do anything, just existing is bad enough," one big lad laughed cruelly.

"You didn't have to do this to him!" 

"Yes we did," the big guy moved closer, getting up in Scott's face. "He was getting too big for his boots, thinking that he could hang out with us, thinking he was an equal. As if he'd actually stand a chance with Jen, he's delusional."

"I've seen the way he's looked at me," Jennifer huffed, "as if I'd ever be seen dead with someone like him."

"He needed to be taught a lesson!" 

"You fucking arsehole! Take your little bitch and get out of here, and if I ever see you near my brother again, I'll hunt you down and make you wish you'd never been born," Scott snarled. 

"Oh, looks like there's another Tracy loser that needs to be brought down a peg or two." 

"Bring it the fuck on!" Scott's fist shot out, cracking against bone as he caught Jake's face with a hard blow. 

"You're going to regret that," Jake warned, massaging his jaw. 

The pack advanced, surrounding Scott, looking to Jake for confirmation. Jake watched Scott for a second, then nodded. 

"Get him!" 

***

"Scott!" Virgil dropped to his knees beside his brother, his hand hovering over his shoulder but too afraid to actually make contact for fear of hurting him even more. 

Scott lay on his side, knees brought up to his chest in an effort to protect himself. His face was a mass of blood, his nose puffy and at an odd angle, clearly broken, as was his right arm, which stuck out painfully from his side. 

"Scott, can you hear me?" Virgil was already fumbling for his phone and dialing. "Hello? Yes, ambulance please… Down the Lane bowling alley... round the back…yes,it's my brother, he's been attacked."

He held on to Scott's hand as they waited, calling their Grandma and Dad. He had to leave a message for their Dad, who was away on business and likely asleep at this time of day, but Grandma promised to meet him at the hospital. 

"Don't worry, bro, help is on the way," he promised, concerned by the fact that Scott had yet to even move, still unconscious as best he could tell. He didn't want to know what kind of injuries his brother had sustained but he looked awful. 

Luckily it took less than five minutes for the paramedics to arrive and get to work. It was a mad flurry of activity as they quizzed Virgil for all the details and tried to rouse Scott who thankfully opened his eyes and made an attempt to push away the hands that swarmed him. He refused the oxygen mask they tried to put on him but was ignored. They got a neck brace fitted and splinted his arm before getting him onto a board and into the ambulance. 

Virgil followed them out to the ambulance and caught sight of his truck, with John still sitting inside, staring with wide eyes at his brother, laid out still on a stretcher. 

"Shit! John."

Virgil ducked down to talk to Scott. "I'll meet you at the hospital, Grandma should be there by now, I have to take care of John first. Please, please do as the doctors say. Behave, for me?" 

Scott nodded as best he could in the neck brace, wincing as the paramedic slid a needle into the back of his hand. 

Sick to his stomach, Virgil got into the driver's seat, waiting until the ambulance left before leaving himself. He wanted to go with them, wanted to make sure Scott was OK, but John needed him right then. 

He'd driven home on auto pilot, greeted by Gordon and Alan at the door. 

John had gotten out of the truck by himself and gone straight to his room, slamming and locking the door behind him.

Virgil tried to talk to him but was ignored, eventually he had given up and, leaving Gordon in charge again, had gone to the hospital, needing to know his brother and best friend was OK. 

***

"John, open the door. Don't leave me standing here when I shouldn't even be standing."

That was enough to force him into moving, the guilt and the knowledge that his brother had been so badly hurt defending him had been eating away at him for days. 

He opened the door slowly, stepping aside to let Scott in. 

John was shocked to come face to face with the truth of what had happened to his brother because of him, to see the mass of bruises, the plastered arm and the pained way his brother moved slowly into the room. 

He was responsible for this, he was responsible for his brother being hurt. He had been the one they wanted, the one they had ganged up on, Scott had just been there, as he always was. 

Once again John cursed his quiet, trusting nature, the way it always made him a target for bullies and prank playing, but this had gone beyond a joke, beyond a prank. If he had been a little braver, a little less intimidated and overwhelmed he might have been able to get himself out of the situation without dragging his family into it. Even taking the beating himself would have been preferable to his brother getting hurt. 

Scott got himself as comfortable as possible, shuffling slowly past him to collapse down on the bed then took a good look at his middle brother.

John looked like shit, and for someone that could barely see out of one eye, that was saying something. His brother's usually neat hair was a lank mess on top of his head, dark circles ringed his eyes and he was still wearing the same clothes he'd been wearing when he had left that night to go to the bowling alley. 

"You can't stay in here forever you know," Scott started, too tired and too sore to bother beating around the bush. 

John stayed silent, not even looking at him, leaning against the now closed door as if barricading himself away from the world. 

"It wasn't your fault, you have nothing to be ashamed of. It's OK."

That pushed him into talking, Scott didn't have a clue what he was talking about. 

"How can you say that? If I hadn't been so desperate to be accepted, to believe that they were actually genuine, that they actually liked me, you'd never have been there. Instead they did exactly what I should have expected, they used me, they humiliated me and they hurt you. That's not OK! None of this is OK and it never will be again! I can't ever go back there, I can't face them again!"

"No one will force you to go back if you don't want to but you have to know that this wasn't your fault. They did this, not you, you didn't ask for that, you didn't do anything to deserve it. But you cannot stay locked in your room starving yourself."

''How did you know what was happening?" 

John's question threw Scott for a second, but he'd always promised to be honest with his family. 

"Gordon found the live stream."

"So you heard what they said about me? You saw what they did? How she lured me outside and touched me, how she would have done more and worse if I'd actually responded like a normal person? Did you hear the things she said to me?" 

Scott didn't respond. 

"Did you?" John's voice rose to a screaming pitch, all the anger, hate, hurt and humiliation that had been festering away inside him suddenly finding an outlet. 

"No, no I didn't."

"She called me weak and pathetic, she called me stupid and a loser, that I was broken because I didn't respond to her or want to be with her in that way. That I wasn't normal. They set me up to be embarrassed, she let me be caught with my trousers down, literally, and she laughed."

John sank down the door to the floor, all remaining fire burnt out. His head dropped into his hands, his tears silent but no less impactful to Scott. He wanted to get up, to go to him, but his injuries and John himself, prevented him from moving without warning. 

"John? Come here."

John didn't move, but he'd been left to his own devices for too long. 

"Don't make me come down there, because it'll hurt like fuck and I doubt I'd get up again without having to call Virgil to haul my ass up, and I'd really rather avoid that."

A shuddering laugh broke through the anguish riding him and John finally looked up. 

"Come here," Scott repeated and John unfolded his long frame, getting to his feet. Slowly he made his way across his room and perched beside his brother on the bed. 

Scott's left arm was still functioning and he put it to good use then, wrapping it around his younger brother's shoulders and pulling him closer. John resisted at first, but when Scott winced with the effort he gave in and sank against him. 

"I'm so sorry, I never meant for you to get hurt, I never meant for any of this to happen."

Scott frowned. "Of course you didn't, there isn't even a need to say that. None of this is on you."

"You got hurt protecting me."

"Are you saying you wouldn't do the same for me?" 

"You know I would."

"Then it is what it is. They are at fault, not you."

John moved away, needing to be left alone at that moment. "I can't believe I was so stupid. That I actually believed them and thought they were being genuine."

"That's not your fault either, you are genuine, so you believe the good in everyone, that's not a fault."

John sighed. "It's not even that that's bothering me the most."

"Then what is?" Scott shifted to get more comfortable, his pain meds long since wearing off, but he didn't dare to leave his brother yet or remind him of what had happened.

"It's the fact that they were right."

"What?" Scott exploded. "No, don't you ever think such a thing."

"No, Scott, they were right, I am a loser. I was so desperate to feel normal that I ignored what my head was telling me. My instincts were screaming at me to not go, yet I pushed myself because I didn't want to keep being left out. I needed to feel wanted."

"You are wanted."

"By family, yes, but much as Dad would have us believe it, family isn't everything. You and Virgil are so different to me, even Alan and Gordon are, you're all confident and have a million friends. And then there's me. I'll never be good enough, I'll never be wanted for who I am. Everyone could see it, and they played me like a fiddle."

Scott sighed, finally seeing what had gotten to him so much. 

"You are more than good enough, in fact you're too good for them. You deserve someone that will love you for who you are, who will know how special you are."

"What if I never find someone that can deal with all the shit in my head? I can hardly deal with it, so how would anyone else?" 

"You will," Scott promised. "I know you don't believe me right now, but you'll see, one day you'll look back on this and know who really won, and it won't be them."

"I can't go back, Scott, I don't want to go back."

"You don't have to, Grandma's spoken to Dad, he was going to wait until you'd all finished this year of school, but Alan and Gordon have agreed, they all rather do their lessons from home."

"No, I'm not taking them away from their friends, it's not fair."

"John, you aren't. You knew we were all going to move soon anyway, we're just speeding it along, the island is ready, we just need to move in."

John nodded, feeling lighter than he had in days. Scott got painfully to his feet, his good arm supporting his ribs. 

"I need to go lie down before I fall down and you need to eat."

"I really am sorry."

"No need, little brother," Scott's hand rested gently on his shoulder. "I'll let you into a secret…I hit him first."

John watched as Scott made his slow journey to the door. 

"Scott?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Did you really mean all that? Do you really believe it?" 

"Every single word."

John nodded. Maybe, just maybe, there was hope for him yet. International Rescue would be a new start for all of them, it would give them all a focus that they badly needed and with it a purpose. 

***

"What are you… Gordon, no!" 

Gordon and Alan froze, identical guilty looks on their faces. Alan quickly hid the can of squirty cheese behind his back, but it was impossible to ignore the big mound of it they had deposited into Scott's slack palm. 

The eldest Tracy was sleeping soundly, still wearing his blues, his long frame taking up an entire couch to itself. His mouth was open and he was snoring gently, his face peaceful, angelic. He looked so relaxed. 

"Don't you dare…" Selene warned them. 

Gordon, in one of his characteristic acts of defiance, looked straight at her while reaching out towards his brother, a pencil held in his hand. 

"Seriously, do not poke that pencil in his…nose," she trailed off as Gordon booped his brother on the nose and then donked him on the forehead. 

Scott muttered in his sleep, his long arm lifting to slap at the offending area…

His bellow of rage shook the entire first floor as he woke up to a face full of cheese and the rapidly retreating footsteps of his youngest brothers. 

"I tried to stop them," Selene winced apologetically as Scott sat up, wiping angrily at his face but only succeeding in spreading the mess everywhere. 

"It's in my eye!" 

"Don't move, stay still, I'll help, you aren't chasing them down until you're clean."

"I'm going to kill them, where are they?" 

"Heading to Four, I don't think you'll catch them," John checked his wrist comm as he wandered in, drawn by the noise. He sat on the couch opposite his brother, trying not to laugh as Selene did her best to wipe the mess out of Scott's eyes with the edge of her shirt. 

"This isn't working, stay there." She sped off to the sleeping quarters, returning with a damp washcloth. 

"Tip your head back."

Scott did as he was told, allowing her to gently clean his face and hair. 

John couldn't help but smile, knowing that she was the only one Scott would allow to attend to him in such a way. It was strange, but they were so similar, both smother hens that looked after their brood, even if Selene did do it with more shouting than Scott, something John would never have believed was possible. 

She wiped the cheese out of his left eyebrow, and once again John was reminded of how Scott received that scar above his eye, but for once the memory didn't bring a wave of shame, anxiety and regrets. Scott had been right, it may have taken years, but finally he was at peace with himself. Against all the odds he had found someone that loved him for who he was, who accepted his flaws and embraced the things that made him different. 

Selene cleaned off Scott's hand next, removing the last trace of cheese before releasing him. 

"OK, now you can go kill them, just don't be too long, dinners in an hour and I've managed to keep Grandma away from the oven this time so we won't have cremated chicken. Be thankful, both of you."

"I'm very thankful," Scott assured her as he took off running. "I'll be back for food, dish me up extra, they won't be alive to eat it."

Selene tossed the cloth on the coffee table, taking John's outstretched hand. 

"Never boring in your house, is it?" 

"Nope," he drew her down onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her middle. 

Smiling she relaxed against his chest, lifting her head to kiss his chin. 

"So, are you thankful too?" 

John nodded, squeezing her tighter. "I'm more thankful than you could ever know."


	41. Jeff wants answers.

"So when did this start?" Jeff asked his second eldest when he finally emerged in his human form. 

Virgil didn't answer immediately, concentrating on putting together a platter of food from the fridge. A mound of cooked chicken and ham, huge chunks of cheese and slabs of bread and butter. Only once he'd sat down and made a large sandwich and taken a bite did he answer. 

"A few months ago, it's a relatively new development that I'm still getting used to."

"And how exactly did this happen?" 

"We were out on a rescue, should have been pretty routine. A scientist had been bitten by a spider and needed antivenom, but I got bitten too. Selene thinks that my body's reaction to the threat was the thing that kick started the change."

Jeff's eyebrows rose in surprise. That was one thing he hadn't read in the mission reports he'd been studying near constantly since his return, wanting to be caught up on everything they had done in his absence. He could understand why it hadn't been included but that didn't make it any easier to deal with. If he hadn't found out about Virgil's alternate form now, how long would they have waited before telling him? 

"How did you cope with it? It must have been a bit of a shock." Jeff poured his son a cup of coffee and pushed it across the table to him, then topped up his own. He remembered questioning his wife on it when she had told him of her family history and feeling horrified at the detail she had gone into. She had told him of the pain they experienced, the way their bodies had to stretch, contort and alter, bones shifting and elongating, muscles and tendons stretching almost to breaking point, the feel of a million needles puncturing the skin at once from the inside as their fur grew out. It didn't bear thinking about, just the thought of his gentle son going through that with no warning, no explanation as to what was happening to him. It hurt his heart. 

"I wasn't alone, Scott and Selene were there. Luckily she realised what was going on and helped me through it. She talked me through returning to myself too." He shrugged. "It was pretty bad."

Jeff sipped his coffee. "And now? You seemed OK just now, obviously you chose to be that way today."

"I've been practicing. Selene put me in touch with another Shifter who talked me through a lot of things, like exercises to do and how to control the pain and the process, to slow it down or speed it up. I've found what works for me. Selene showed me how to take energy from the earth and use it as pain relief, so now it's not too bad, no worse than some of the things that happen to us during a rescue and over very quickly. She's helped a lot." He paused to make another sandwich, taking bites of cheese in between as he constructed his masterpiece. 

"Now that I know it's there inside me I wonder how it was even a surprise, it feels like it's always been there. At first I was really scared to bring it on myself, I kept putting it off. But I found that the longer I left it the more restless and on edge I became. I was snappier and found that my senses were too intense. That's down to the wolf's need to be free. Now I try to change at least once every few weeks, more if we have the down time, but only then as it can take me a few hours or even a day to recover."

Jeff didn't know what to say to all this new information, he'd definitely need time to process it all. But he had to know two things. 

"Are you OK with it?" 

Virgil paused his chewing to ponder it. He hadn't really thought to ask himself that question before. He was the artistic one of the family but that didn't mean he was that philosophical, he wasn't a deep thinker, that was John's department, which, now that he came to think about it, made sense that he was marrying a witch that would constantly keep him thinking. 

No, Virgil was more likely to not think about things. It wasn't that he couldn't be bothered, that he didn't like to think too hard or that he wasn't intelligent enough for more intellectual thoughts, it was more that he knew his limits, he knew that some things couldn't be changed and that turning them over and over in your head made little difference. If there was a problem, he'd work to solve it. He was an engineer, he didn't allow a problem to hold him back, he found a way to fix it. 

Selene had put him in touch with the people he needed, she'd given him the help and he'd mastered the change, so he had felt like that had been the problem solved. 

Now that Jeff asked the question he forced himself to consider it from all angles. Was he OK with it? Was he dealing with it? Truthfully he honestly felt that he was. He was OK. Sure, the getting there was unpleasant, but he enjoyed the end result. 

He'd noticed a marked increase in his already considerable strength, as well as his stamina, something John had confirmed both from his work outs in the gym and the amount he'd had to rely on his exo-suit. Along with that came the healing perks Selene had mentioned, he had a number of mediscans to prove it, injuries that would usually take him weeks to recover from were almost nonexistent in a few days, as well as being less severe. All in all the pros outweighed the cons. 

He also found that he enjoyed his time on four legs, it was peaceful. The world made more sense because it was simpler. He could understand everything said to him, he could think for himself and as himself, but it was almost like he had another side to his personality then, a side that rarely troubled itself with trivial things. It was freeing. 

"Yeah, I'm OK with it," Virgil nodded decisively, stuffing the last of the sandwich into his mouth. 

"Have any of the others developed it too?" 

Virgil shook his head and Jeff sighed in relief. Virgil frowned slightly and, although he didn't say anything, Jeff saw it. 

"What wrong? Did I say something to upset you?" 

Virgil paused, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. He wasn't used to talking back to his dad. Truth be told he'd always been a tiny bit scared of him as a child, and respectful of him as a teen and young adult. Back then he'd never dream of letting his dad know that he'd pissed him off. But he'd grown up since then and for the majority of his adult life he'd been able to please himself and stand up for himself when he felt the need. 

If it had been anyone else he'd have told them exactly what he was thinking, but with his dad he found himself hesitating, which annoyed him all the more. Man up, he told himself, just say it or you'll spend all night wishing you had. 

"I didn't like how you sighed then, like they dodged a bullet by not being a freak like me."

"No, son, I'd never think you were a freak. I didn't mean it that way."

"That's how it sounded to me," Virgil rose to take his plate to the sink, diverting past the fridge to grab a bottle of orange juice on his way back to the table. 

"It wasn't intentional, I'm sorry."

"This isn't some affliction that I'm cursed with, I've had time to understand it and accept it. This is part of my heritage from Mom's side of the family and I'm proud to have it. It saved my life, how could I ever hate it or not want it? You want to know what it's like? It's like I have a guardian angel watching out for me, but one that shares my skin. I know it has my back, because it's proved it. "

"I understand," Jeff nodded, gesturing for him to continue. 

"If I had the chance to be rid of it I wouldn't do it, it's part of me now."

"Good to know, that's all I needed to hear. It's all a father ever wants, to know that his children are alright." Jeff fiddled with the salt pot on the table in front of him. "Your mother, she worried about you all so much. When she told me of her family, and the abilities that they had it all sounded so fascinating to me. But I remember when we found out she was pregnant with Scott, she was so worried about everything, from the birth, to his health, and everything in between, she didn't even let herself think about what it would be like if he inherited it. She calmed down a lot with her worries by the time you and John came along, and was even better with Gordon and Alan. No one in her family had developed the ability to change in three generations so when Scott passed puberty with no issues she thought it had skipped you all, just as it had her."

"Would she be sad to know it didn't?" 

Jeff shook his head. "Not if you're happy. That's all she ever wanted."

Virgil smiled, relieved that his secret was finally out in the open. He'd hated keeping it from their father, but they had all decided that it would be better for Jeff to find his feet again before they bombarded him with it. 

"I never meant to keep it from you for so long. At first we just wanted to give you a chance to settle in, to recover and start to heal without any nasty surprises. But then Selene's dad passed and things got tense and it just wasn't the right time. But it was hard, I've grown used to changing when the mood takes me and wandering the house freely. Hiding out in my room or going for long walks on the island wasn't ideal but it was the best I could do."

"I hate that you felt the need to protect me from this and had to hide away, but I also understand. You didn't know what state I'd be in when you brought me home. But don't ever hide something like that from me again. Do you understand?" 

"Yes, sir," Virgil grinned, knowing the gruff tone to his dad's voice was only there out of concern. 

"Good, now that's out of the way, tell me more about-" 

They both jumped when the sound of footsteps padding down the stairs reached their ears and a moment later Selene wandered into the kitchen with Armstrong in her arms. She still looked tired, but thankfully it seemed to be the groggy tired of someone who had just woken up rather than the exhaustion that had been riding her for the past few weeks. Her hair was a mess and she yawned as she sank down into a chair beside Virgil, depositing the cat on the floor. 

"Want a cup?" Jeff pointed to the coffee pot and she nodded gratefully. He poured her a cup and added milk and sugar as she always did, passing it over. She caught his hand as he settled back in his seat, giving it a little squeeze. 

"Thanks." Jeff nodded, knowing she didn't mean the coffee. 

"Want something to eat?" Virgil offered but she shook her head, taking an experimental sip of her drink and finding it to be perfect. Jeff was always one to notice details, he was very much like Scott in that respect. Scott was one she could never hide anything from and she had a feeling that Jeff would be the same once he got to know her better. 

"No, thank you, just coffee for now."

Virgil looked like he wanted to argue but refrained instead getting up to fill the cat's bowl. Armstrong dived in head first as he always did, scarfing his food down as quickly as possible, as if he thought it would be taken away any moment. 

Virgil took his seat again, nudging her with his shoulder. "You good?"

She thought about it for a few moments, sipping her coffee. Was she good? She certainly felt a lot better than she had. She tentatively reached out a hand, placing it on his. He immediately turned his hand so they were palm to palm, lacing their fingers and there it was, that comforting low level buzz of energy that was so typically Virgil. All calm, relaxed comfort. She closed her eyes briefly, relieved beyond measure that she was once again able to feel something other than her grief. 

Somehow Jeff had known just what she had needed and had managed to break through her defences to reach her. Now she'd slept and her head felt clearer, she was able to recognise what had happened to her. She'd become grief bound, something that could happen to those with psychic or mediumistic gifts as a protective measure. You became blocked, unable to feel or to connect with the spirit world or anyone around you until your brain had processed some of the hurt, until you were ready to start healing. She'd sunk deep, and honestly she wasn't sure that she would have been able to claw herself out without the tough love that Jeff had forced on her. 

Virgil squeezed her hand, bringing her thoughts back to his question. She nodded, leaning her head against his shoulder. 

"Yeah, I'm good."


	42. Making Plans

John watched as Selene wandered aimlessly around the lounge, picking up the random items that his family seemed to scatter the length of the house if they were in a room for more than five minutes and tidying them away. 

He'd be lying if he said he wasn't still worried about her. She'd been better since her talk with his father, more responsive and more like her usual affectionate self, but unless someone was actively engaging with her or she had something to occupy her thoughts she was quiet, too quiet for his liking. Where she would usually be the first person to insert herself into a conversation or to offer to help, she now hung back, sitting quietly until she was spoken to. 

The family had done all they could to keep her busy and included in everything they did, but there was only so much time they could devote to her. He could understand her, where she wasn't numb with grief anymore she was having to process, to switch her view to a world where her father no longer existed in it and while Rufus hadn't been a very active part in her life, she was still feeling the loss greatly. 

He and Scott watched her like hawks, constantly on the alert for a change in her moods. They saw the way she could be joining in with a conversation one minute, even sharing a laugh with them or watching a movie and without warning her eyes would fill with tears, as if she'd suddenly remembered or felt guilty for forgetting and enjoying herself. She would hurriedly brush them away, or make an excuse to leave the room for a few moments, not wanting them to see. But they knew and their hearts hurt for her. 

He'd been wracking his brain for days trying to think of something, anything that he could give her to focus on that wasn't her loss. But he was drawing a blank. It wasn't like his mind to let him down like this and he wasn't impressed with it. He had no other choice, he'd have to do it, and he'd have to draft in reinforcements. 

"Council of war, Round House, ten minutes," he sent as a group message through their private comms but making sure to leave Selene out of it. 

It didn't take long for them to begin filtering in, and soon his entire family was gathered, staring at him expectantly. 

He cleared his throat, trying to think of the best way to word things. In the end he decided to just blurt it out. 

"We need to distract Selene, she needs something to focus on, just wafting around the house like this isn't doing her any good."

Scott nodded. "Agreed."

"So," and here came the hard part of his plan. "I'm going to need you all to volunteer your services, this is a time of self sacrifice for the greater good."

"What kind of services?" Kayo asked, instantly suspicious. 

"Whatever she asks of you. Believe me, I'm the one could be hit the hardest by this," he shuddered at the very thought of what he was about to say. 

"That sounds bad," Alan groaned. 

John nodded seriously. "It's time to start planning our wedding."

Grandma shrieked with joy, clapping her hands. 

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" 

"Grandma, remember that we're doing this to distract her, keep her busy and make her feel better, it has to be exactly what she wants and how she wants to, please help her, don't hinder her," John quickly reined her in. 

"I know that," she sniffed indignantly, "I can be restrained."

John didn't look too convinced about that but was wise enough not to bait her further. 

"So, can I count on you all to be subtle but helpful? To steer her towards making plans and thinking about other things?" 

They all nodded. 

***

Selene was suspicious. It was very rare to ever get a moment of peace and solitude anywhere in the villa, yet suddenly every single one of them had vanished off the face of the earth. They were up to something, she just knew it. 

Her suspicions were confirmed when her darling spaceman tracked her down to the little reading nook on the top floor of the lounge. She was curled up in a chair, leafing through a book of palmistry, a mug of coffee beside her on the floor. She looked up as he made his way up the stairs and over to her. 

"Hi," she greeted, closing her book to give him her full attention but keeping a finger inside to mark her page. 

"Hi."

She tipped her head up, offering her lips and he happily accepted, kissing her softly. 

"Everything OK?" she asked. 

"Sure," he moved to sit in the chair beside her but changed his mind. Offering her his hand he pulled her to her feet, stole her chair and settled her on his lap. 

She turned sideways to drape her legs over the arm of the chair and opened her book again. 

John, as he often did, found himself scanning the page she was reading. Huh, that was called a Mercury Mount? He studied his palm, looking at it from all angles, trying to decide if he had a full mount or not. 

"OK, you're trying to distract yourself, which means you're putting off telling me something. Come on, out with it. I know something's up, I'm never alone in this house and all of a sudden there's not a Tracy in sight."

And he'd thought she hadn't been paying attention to anything, he should have known better. She picked up his hand, running her thumb lightly around his palm as she mapped out the lines and studied the book. 

"I want us to set a date."

"We have a date," she answered, her tone distracted as she bent his index finger to poke at the mound it created. 

He curled his hand around her finger, trapping it to get her attention. "I know, but I want us to officially set a date and start making some wedding plans. I want to be able to tell everyone that you're my wife."

"A year and a day, right? So that's our date, exactly one year to the day that Jeff came home. No one needs to know the reason we picked it."

How could she be so awkward about everything? Most women would be desperate to get started on wedding plans, they would kill to have their fiancé showing an interest and asking them to get on with it. But not her. Not his Selene. She never did things the conventional way and it seemed she wasn't about to start now. 

"Which means we have just over eight months to plan it," he pushed. 

Selene snorted. "I only need two at the most, we've got plenty of time."

"Sweetheart, our wedding is not a chore you can put off until the last minute." At least he didn't have to worry that she would turn into some kind of bridezilla that thought of nothing but her wedding, driving her man nuts as she bossed him around, taking over and never giving him a say in anything. 

"I never said it was! I'd never think of our wedding as a chore!" 

"I know," he kissed her nose to show he wasn't annoyed with her. "I would just feel better if I knew that everything was planned ahead of schedule so we could relax. I don't want us getting so stressed out about it that we don't enjoy the day. We want a quiet, laid back wedding, but even that needs some planning to make it go as smoothly as possible. Plus, it's us, so we're likely to have emergencies and rescues coming in near constantly which will take up our time, better to give ourselves enough to spare."

Her eyes narrowed briefly and he knew that she was scrutinising his aura for any deception, of which he knew she'd see none. He wasn't deceiving her, he was worried about her and that meant that whatever he did would be with the best of intentions. Yes, he'd found a loophole and was fully prepared to exploit it mercilessly. Finally she nodded. 

"Alright, we'll make plans, but just small plans, no big plans, OK?" 

"No big plans," he agreed, giving her a squeeze. 

***  
"This is such a chore," Selene groaned, pushing aside her notebook, laptop and Grandma's wedding magazines and dropping her head into her hands. 

“Don’t let John hear you say that,” Scott warned. 

“There’s just so much to do! Who knew this amount of stuff was even a thing?”

“He did, hence why he told you to start now.”

“If he knows so much why isn't he the one doing all the work?” Selene groused, lifting her head to glare at the array of information that was scattered around the table top and currently mocking her.

"Because you promised him you'd do it."

"I never promised to do it quietly," she muttered under her breath as she picked up her notepad again. "I'm sure there is a list fairy somewhere that is messing with me just for shits and giggles, because I swear there are extra items appearing on this every time I look."

"You're a woman, this is supposed to be easy for you, you're supposed to enjoy it," he pointed out. 

"I can assure you that having an innie rather than an outie in my pants does not make me any better qualified to do this!" 

Scott’s sudden laughter set her off too, both of them giggling like idiots for a few minutes until they managed to pull themselves together.

“It’s good to hear you laughing again,” he chuckled, sipping his coffee.

“I think it's good to find something funny enough to laugh at,” she paused, not really knowing where to go with her thoughts. As always, he seemed to know that something was on her mind and waited for her to continue.

“I guess I just feel guilty every time I want to laugh, like it shouldn't be doing it. I know it sounds stupid but I feel like I dont have to right to be laughing or to enjoy myself. And I know that it's crazy to think like that , if I was talking to anyone else who was going through this I'd be telling them that it's good to laugh, that they have to continue to live. But I feel like it's too soon, like I'm forgetting him and that I'm supposed to be sad.”

Scott lifted his arm in invitation and she scooched over, sliding her arms around his middle as he cuddled into his side.

“I think this is one of the times that you should take your own advice,” he draped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in closer, “but I get it. When we lost Mom and Grandpa I thought that we’d never be happy again, but we were. Then we lost Dad and somehow, being an adult made it hurt more, probably because we have more of an understanding of the world. I felt the same as you, like I was wrong or didn't love him or care enough if I even smiled. But I soon realised that it wasn't what he would have wanted, he was about preserving life, not giving up on it, he’d of wanted us to keep going. And so would Rufus.”

"It doesn't feel right, planning this," she swept her arm out, gesturing to the pile of stuff in front of her, "not without him. A dad is supposed to be a big part of his daughter's wedding and he's not here for it and it hurts so much. Every time I look at one of these stupid magazines I see happy dads and it's just…I hate it. I really hate it."

Scott hugged her tighter, dropping a kiss on her forehead. 

"He's your dad, he'll be with you, isn't that what you are always telling people?" 

She nodded, nuzzling her cheek against his shoulder. 

"Also, I'm pretty sure he'd want you to get married and be happy."

“When did you get so wise?” she teased, but he wasn't about to complain, he just liked the fact that she was smiling.

“I’ve always had my moments, you were just too dumb to notice.”

“Cheek of it! How dare you!”

“I dare beca-”

“This is Thunderbird Five calling International Rescue, we have a situation.”

Scott sat up, instantly alert and she shifted aside to allow him to move. 

"What's up, John?" 

"Forest fire in Quebec." 

"Just a fire? Can the local authorities not handle it?" 

"They can help with the fire, but the real trouble is this," John touched something on his screen and a digital image popped up beside his floating torso. "This is the Lamour Monorail, it's automated, so there was no way for it to stop before it reached the center of the Meddings suspension bridge. The bridge itself has suffered from fire damage, the intense heat has caused the metal to warp and start melting, the monorail cars are stuck in the center, unable to go forwards or backwards. There are more than forty people on there who are in very real and immediate danger."

She watched the way Scott's eyes scanned the holographic schematics, taking in everything that John was telling him, his brain already coming up with a plan. Virgil, Gordon and Alan had heard John's incoming beep and had made their way to the lounge, ready to receive their orders. 

"Right, we'll get straight out there. Virgil, you and Gordo go and suit up, immediate launch, I’ll give you further instructions from the air.”

“Right!” They were already jogging towards their launch chutes.

“John,” Scott turned back to his brother, “can you give me the rest of the details?”

“Sure thing,” John’s fingers danced in midair, although they knew that in reality he was working his way across multiple screens, gathering all the information, his brain already calculating and sorting to present his findings in the most straightforward way. “OK, the bridge was built to take the monorail between two mountains, the gorge is filled with forest that has been engulfed in flames. You’re going to need to secure the bridge as best you can and either get that monorail moving or evacuate the passengers.”

Scott nodded, taking it all in, his quick brain already formulating a plan. “My instincts say that stabilizing the bridge and getting the train moving again is the way to go. Two wouldnt be able to handle that number of passengers in one go and I-”

John nodded to something off camera and moved aside, allowing their father to take his place in front of the monitors. Jeff was on one of his twice monthly breaks in the space station, the Zero-Gravity of Five helping to take some of the pressure off his still recovering body. John had been consulted while Grandma, Virgil and Jeff had devised a plan of action to aid his transition from space to earth, and part of that had included time away from Earth. At first he had been to five every day for six hours, then every few days for 12 hours, now it was every two weeks for forty-two hours. It was a strange regime but it seemed to be working for him.

“Don’t worry, Son, I’ve already briefed Virgil and Gordon and instructed them on how to handle the situation, you just concentrate on getting there and helping out.”

If Selene hadn't known Scott so well she would have missed the subtle stiffening of his spine and the determined set of his shoulders, but she did, and she knew he wasn't happy. She waited, wondering how he was going to handle the situation. One breath, two and then he seemed to wilt a little.

“Yes, sir.”

Jeff clicked off, the hologram vanishing, John’s portrait now just a picture again.

“Scott?” she reached out a hand to him but he brushed her aside.

“I’m fine. I’ve got to get going, you heard, I’ve had my orders.”

Alan came to join her on the couch as Scott gripped the hand holds of his launch chute, his face radiating pissed off.

“This isn't going to be good,” Alan muttered and she was inclined to agree with him.


	43. Jeff takes over.

Selene and Alan waited anxiously back at base with Kayo and Brains while the others worked desperately to try to save the trapped passengers of the monorail carriages. Brains had been called in to help with logistical planning, he and Jeff talking things out before Jeff relayed instructions to the boys.

Selene took a moment to leave the lounge and call John, something she would never usually do during a rescue, but her instincts were telling her to check in with him.

“Hi,” he answered, looking far less distracted than she had expected. “What’s up?”

“Nothing, I just wanted to see how you were doing.”

“I’m fine.” He spoke in his usual calm tone and his face was carefully neutral, but she could see a little muscle ticking away in his tense jaw and knew he was anything but calm inside. 

“Ok, I know you're probably busy, I’ll leave you alone for now.”

John glanced over his shoulder, his head moving aside just enough to let her see Jeff floating in the middle of the comms sphere, obviously deeply involved with organising the rescue. “It’s ok, I’m not actually that busy right now.” He turned back to face her. “How’s the planning coming?”

“It’s not.”

He rolled his eyes, but there was just a hint of a smile teasing his lips, which she was pleased to see. “Do I assume that you’ll be wanting me to help soon?” He said it in such a long suffering tone that she had to laugh, knowing that he didn't really mean it and that he'd actually enjoy doing a little more organising. Especially if he’s being pushed out up there, she thought to herself.

“You assume right, my love. As soon as you get home we’ll divide up this ever expanding list.”

“John,” Jeff called, interrupting them. “Can you pull up the information for the monorail company? I still haven't quite got to grips with this updated system.”

“I gotta go.” he smiled when she blew him a little kiss before he cut the connection.

“John OK?” Alan asked when she returned. She glanced to the side seeing that Brains was still talking intently with Jeff . 

“Yeah, he’s fine.” 

Alan gave her a look that said he knew she was bullshitting, but wisely kept his mouth shut. She left them to it, deciding that food would be needed by the time the boys got home.

***

Selene, Alan and Brains had eaten hours ago and Alan was dozing on the couch by the time the exhausted crew made it home. Virgil and Gordon both waved a hello before they headed off for a shower and change of clothes, but Scott never appeared. A quick text to John confirmed that he had made it back in one piece so it seemed his absence was down to mood rather than anything more serious. Well she wasn't about to leave him alone to deal with shit by himself. She’d give him an hour and then she'd hunt him down.

She found him in the third place she looked, sitting alone on the beach, his back supported against a palm tree trunk. She nudged his shoulder with one the beers she carried, not saying a word, she didn't need to. He’d talk if he wanted to, and if he didnt, that was ok too. He just needed to know that she was there for him.

She sat down beside him and sipped from her own bottle, looking out over the sea. It always looked so beautiful at night, the way the moonlight sparkled on the calm water was almost hypnotic. They drank in silence for a while, Scott showing no indication that he wanted to talk although his aura told a different story. 

“So, how did the rescue go? What happened?”

He sighed, taking a long pull from his beer. 

Selene nudged him gently with her elbow. 

"We managed to get everyone off the bridge, just barely, but we did it."

"That's great. That's the best you can hope for, isn't it?" 

He shrugged. "I guess." 

"Then why aren't you happier about it?" 

Scott tipped up his bottle, draining it and reached for another. "Yeah, I guess I should just be grateful that no one died and accept it."

Selene frowned, not used to hearing such a snappy tone from him. Yeah, Scott was hot headed and quick to flare up, but never at her. 

"Talk me through it," she suggested. 

"What?" 

"Talk me through it, tell me what happened. I'll only go and ask the others if you don't, so you might as well."

He sighed impatiently. "I'm really not in the mood to talk about it right now." 

She picked up a fresh bottle and offered it to him. He reached out a hand but she pulled it away before he could grab it. "Talk to me." 

He gave her that look that he usually reserved for Gordon when he was in his annoying mood, one that said he was debating if he could get away with smacking her. She wasn't fazed and wiggled the bottle enticingly. 

He huffed out a frustrated breath but grabbed the bottle from her, the deal struck. 

"We arrived to a massive mess, and that's putting it mildly. In the time it had taken us to get there, from first call to arrival being just a hair under thirteen minutes, the bridge integrity had reduced by another 38% and things were getting desperate."

Selene nodded encouragingly, following so far. 

"In that situation we would usually weigh up the options and go with the easiest and the safest."

"Which was?" 

Scott shrugged, swigging from his bottle. "In my opinion, based on past experiences, I would have said to use the Low-Frequency Fire Suppression System to subdue the flames and then use the LN2 foam that Brains designed to rapidly cool the base of the bridge, the support struts and the suspension cables. That would have stabilized the carriages and allowed us more time to work. We couldn't evacuate all the passengers in one go, there just isn't enough room in Thunderbird Two, and I didn't want us to cause a panic by doing a number of trips."

"Makes sense."

"Yeah," his tone was bland, as if he didn't care, but she could tell he did. "So you'd think. It doesn't matter, because by the time Virgil and Gordon got there, even though I'd surveyed the area and reported back to John with my suggested plan, they had already received their orders."

She had a feeling she knew where this was going. 

"And they were?" 

"To attach cables to the carriages so that Virgil could hold it steady while Gordon went out and cut through the overhead track that the carriages were still attached to, allowing Virgil to lift the carriage away."

Selene frowned. She didn't know a lot about organising a rescue, she was usually the support crew if she went out at all, but even to her that plan sounded a little odd. Why risk Gordon when they could have sprayed the structure as Scott had suggested, rapidly cooling and hardening the metal and then, if they couldn't get the carriages moving again, they could have evacuated the passengers in a safe way. 

Scott obviously recognised the expression on her face. "Yeah, that's what I thought too. I appreciate that Dad has organised and headed up a number of rescues, but he doesn't know or understand our newer equipment, he relied on his tried and tested methods and they are a bit…" he paused as if not wanting to say anything else. 

"Antiquated?" Selene supplied.

He nodded. "It was an unnecessary risk to Gordon, one that I didn't approve of."

"But he's OK, right? He looked OK when he came back."

"Yeah, he's alright, thanks to me."

"What happened? Something obviously went wrong."

He tipped up his bottle, draining its contents and swapped for her half drunk one. 

"Two wasn't able to lift the entire weight by itself and it didn't have enough range for the cables. There were two carriages and Two's cables could only cover one. They had tried to make them stretch but the balance was wrong and the carts started to tip up as he lifted. Gordon almost slid off. Virg had to stop and Gordon had to supervise the transfer of passengers from one cart to another and then separate the carriages. Since the fires were still raging Virgil finally tried to suppress them, but the damage had been done and as the second cart dropped off the track onto the bridge the metal gave way. The filled carriage started sliding but I stepped in to help, attaching a cable and helping to lift. Gordon grabbed hold of my cable and that kept him safe. We finally lifted it into the air and got everyone evacuated safely."

"That does seem a bit…" now it was her time to pause. 

"Of a cluster fuck," he finished for her. "Yeah, you could say that."

"Couldn't you have taken over before all that happened? I mean, you knew what would work best and you were the one on the ground trying to get the job done.”

Scott shook his head. “Dad was the one in charge.”

She took a deep breath, knowing that he wouldn't like to hear what she had to say, but doing it anyway, because that's what best friends did, they said the things you didn't want to hear but probably needed.

“I know I don't have a right to say this, or even to have an opinion, but I think you need to talk to him about it, because I don’t think he should be the one in charge anymore, not like he used to be.”

Scott was silent for a few moments, then shook his head. “It’s his baby, it’s his money, his crafts, his dream. It was always him.”

“Excatly that, it was his dream," she put extra emphasis on the was, "but then it became yours too, and everyone elses, you’re the ones that made it work, you’re the ones that lost your dad and, rather than doing what most people would do and saying, fuck it, you continued. You didn't have the mentality of having lost one person and not being willing to risk another, you didn't blame the job or the people that need rescuing, you get out there and you do a bloody good job. That makes International Rescue as much yours as it is his, and you know that.”

“That was when he wasn't here, now he is.”

“So you're just going to stop fighting for your beliefs and back down?” Selene couldn't have been more shocked if he had whipped down his pants and started to helicopter.

“Yep, that’s what I’m going to do.”

“But you can't.”

“I can and I will. You don't argue with Dad.”

“I argue with everyone.”

“Fine, I don't argue with Dad,” he finished off her bottle of beer, handed her the empty and walked back inside without a backwards glance.

Selene stared after him, expecting him to turn around and come back, but he didn't. They hadn't exactly had an argument, that would have actually been easier to understand. For best friends they argued all the time, they shouted at each other and they had even been known to deploy the odd noogie from time to time, that was all expected. And honestly, she’d expected him to lose his temper, to flair up as she called him out on the bullshit. The fact that he hadn't worried her more than she would admit. This was not like their Scott at all. 

She stayed where she was, looking out over the sea until something above her head caught her eye. Looking up she sighed in relief, she’d never been more happy to see the space elevator descending as she was at that moment. John had only been gone three days but it felt like months.

Gathering the bottles she hurried back to the house, deposited them in the recycling and was ready and waiting in the hanger for when he touched down.

Her enthusiastic greeting was cut short by Jeff emerging from the elevator a few seconds after John had disembarked, but she tried not to let it bother her. Soon they were both installed in the lounge with plates of food, where everyone met for a debrief.

Scott stayed silent throughout the meeting, only contributing when it was required or he was asked a direct question, and he vanished without a goodbye as soon as it was finished. Jeff didn't seem to notice that there was anything wrong with him, or if he did he didn't comment on it.

John ate quickly then excused himself, wanting a shower and bed, Selene was more than happy to join him, she was done with the day and the weird feeling in the air. 

She was waiting in bed by the time John emerged from his shower. He slipped in beside her and pulled her close, waiting while she got comfortable.

After more than 18 months together she was an expert at gauging his moods based on his non verbal cues, and this time was no exception. His arm went around her as she settled her head on his shoulder, his arm bent to allow his fingers to tangle in her hair, weaving through the silky strands. That was how she knew he was feeling particularly stressed out. Normally they would chill apart for a while, maybe reading or sharing a few videos that they had found particularly interesting the past few days, before they settled to sleep. He often played with her hair then, finding it to be something of a comfort, almost grounding for him, so the fact that he’d gone straight to it now said a lot.

“So how bad was it?” she didn't mince her words, she didn't have to with him. 

He sighed deeply, his fingers tightening briefly before relaxing. "Pretty bad. 

"Elaborate," she kissed his collarbone, just to show she cared.

"I could see that Dad was struggling with the system, not to mention with EOS, he's already suspicious of her. She tried to help but it just ended up with him getting very frustrated and I had to step in and ask EOS to back down. You know how she is when she doesn't understand something, she needs to know why, she needs it explaining," he paused, then chuckled darkly, a humourless sound that didn't sound amused at all. "She asked him why he wouldn't let her or I do the work because he clearly didn't know what he was doing."

Selene bit her lip and groaned, that wasn't good. They all knew how EOS worked, how she saw the world in just black and white, there were no shades of grey for her. It either was, or it wasn't. She worked in logic and facts, and to her the fact was that Jeff was not qualified for the job. So in her mind, he should be told and step aside. That was where she proved that, as much as she often appeared human, she was still just a computer program. A brilliant one, but just code all the same. 

"Dad wasn't happy, and I think he took that out on Scott. I tried suggesting alternatives and I tried pushing him towards letting Scott take point on the rescue, but he kept insisting that he knew what he was doing."

"But you don't think he did?" 

"I know he didn't. His techniques are outdated, as is his knowledge and his skills are rusty. He may have experience when it comes to space travel and the like, but when it comes to rescues, we have more. It's just facts. We know what we are doing, we know our equipment and we are in a better position to make judgement calls. It was beyond frustrating for me so I hate to think how Scott was feeling."

"Much the same as you," she confirmed. 

"You talked to him already?" 

"If you could call it that."

"That good, huh?" 

She nodded. 

"I'm not surprised, Scott's always been like this where Dad is concerned. Scott is one of the strongest people I know, but when it comes to Dad he'll never argue or talk back, he never has."

"But he needs to, things can't go on like this, someone could end up seriously hurt or worse."

"I know," he kissed the top of her head. "I know, and that's what I'm afraid of."


	44. Shopping with the Girls

"Honestly, it's actually good to be off the island right now," Kayo sighed, breathing in the aroma of a hundred different national dishes all in one place, "even if it is to come shopping." 

Camden Town, Selene's stomping ground, boasted a large and wide ranging street food market and they were planning on making good use of it before they got down to some serious decision making. 

Kayo was right, it was nice to be away from the tense atmosphere of the island for a little while. It was giving them both a little time to breathe. 

"It really is rather charming," Penelope agreed, her eyes travelling across the stalls, taking in everything they had to offer. 

Kayo and Penelope were both comfortable with London, although they didn't usually venture to this city of the city, Camden being a little more bohemian and eclectic than they were used to, but they had been more than willing to accommodate Selene in any and all requests, it was for their special day after all. Although Selene was still insisting that it was a lot of fuss for what should be a very simple ceremony, and had been driving John to despair by ignoring the carefully crafted binder he had put together to store and categorise everything they had organised. 

The joy of the market was that you could find almost any type of food and have it packed up ready to take with you within a few minutes, there was no waiting for a table or for waitstaff to take your order and bring drinks, it was instant, it was hot and it was authentic. 

Kayo had said she was in the mood for Char Kuey Teow a traditional noodle dish that Kyrano had often made for her when she was a child, one that Penelope had agreed sounded delicious. Selene hadn't been keen, not being much of a fan of fish in dishes, so had moved to a nearby stall selling Cantonese food and picked out a simple chicken chow mein with a drizzle of a delicious smelling sweet and sour sauce. 

They all bought bottles of water to go with their food and soon found a bench table beside the canal where they could eat. Selene loved this area, loved the people and the more laid back way of life. She and John liked to wander down to the market to pick up something for lunch or take a walk along the canal, although their lazy days were few and far between. Her little flat, or theirs as it was now, was abandoned more than it was occupied, with her spending more and more time on the Island, feeling like the family needed her more than she needed her own space. 

Selene would say one thing for Penny, she was always willing to give something a try, even if it didn't immediately appeal to her and over the course of their friendship, Penny had continued to surprise her with her acceptance of her crazy ways. 

Selene knew that eating street food from a stall with wooden cutlery, drinking water out of a bottle and sitting beside a bustling canal was not something Penelope would ever have chosen to do, but she did look like she was enjoying herself. 

They chatted about nothing much as they ate, watching the world go, the sun shining brightly, it being an unseasonably warm Saturday, taking their time, their appointment wasn't until two and it was barely one. 

Once done they carefully gathered up their cardboard boxes and wooden forks and put them in a nearby recycling bin, taking their bottles with them to use again. 

The wedding and evening wear shop was probably nothing like what Penny would have picked, it not being designer, but was everything that she should have expected from Selene who never conformed if she could help it. It was tucked out of the way down a side street from Camden Market and promised one of a kind, unique dresses in a wide range of styles. Selene just hoped they lived up to their promise. 

The owner, a lovely lady by the name of Poppy, greeted them at the door, hustling them inside and immediately offering them drinks of the alcoholic variety. They all declined, it being still relatively early in the afternoon. 

"We always ask our clients what they envision as their perfect dress, we need to get an idea of your style and preferences so we can better choose the gowns we offer you," Poppy chirped, her impossibly cheerful tone already starting to make Selene regret the fact that she had allowed Penny to talk her out of ordering a dress online. 

Penelope nudged Selene. "Describe your dress."

"Erm…I don't really know, I've not really thought about it," Selene admitted, receiving a chorus of shocked gasps in return from Penny, Poppy and her assistant. 

"How could you not have thought about it?" Penelope whispered in horror. "All women think about the dress they will walk down the aisle in." 

Selene shrugged. "I don't know, I'm pagan, I'm not even sure I'm going to have an aisle."

Poppy found the entire conversation simple unbelievable, never had she met a bride who seemed to care so little for the thing that was usually their most cherished item. 

"A classic white?" Poppy suggested gently. 

"Not white," Selene insisted. "Do I look like the type of person who would wear white?" 

Kayo snorted out a laugh. 

"Maybe not that then," Poppy agreed, giving her an assessing once over. "So you have a theme?" 

"Yes, that I do have."

"And that is?" 

"Casual and effortless."

Kayo covered her mouth with her hand. 

"I want unique but pretty, casual and easy to move in but not shapeless, no fussy patterns or lots of lace," Selene reeled off, taking pity on the woman. "I like the idea of maybe something gothic, but I promised my mother I wouldn't wear a 'horror gown'," she rolled her eyes. "so maybe not too gothic. Is any of this making sense?" 

Poppy nodded, then shook her head, then nodded again as if she couldn't quite make up her mind. "I'll just…go and see what I have, feel free to look around and see if anything catches your eye." She escaped quickly out the back of the shop. 

The girls wandered, searching through the racks of dresses for anything that took their fancy. 

"What about this?" Penelope suggested, displaying a coral coloured slinky number that would look beautiful on Penelope but would never suit Selene. 

"I don't do pink," Selene shuddered. 

"This?" Kayo offered up a plain red sheath dress. 

"Nope, but that would look great on you."

Poppy bustled back in with a pile of fabric in her arms and began to hang the dresses on a rack to display them. 

"I've selected a few that I think might fit your criteria," she promised, pulling out the first dress, a cream number. "Shall we try it on?" 

Selene made a face. Cream was not her colour. 

"This one?" a baby pink one was next. 

"She doesn't do pink," Penelope informed her. 

"Do I look like I do pink? Or pastels of any description for that matter?" 

Poppy shook her head. 

"I'm going to need a little more information then, I've kept to the lower end of our price range but-" 

"I'm sorry, did you just assume my budget and judge my class based on how I look?" 

"Well, no I…I mean, I wasn't implying that…"

"Her fiancé is the son of Jeff Tracy," Penelope informed her cooly in what Selene always thought of as her 'talking to the staff' tone. Usually Penny was polite to everyone of any class, gender or nationality but sometimes she encountered people that she felt needed bringing down a peg or two. "I can assure you that she can afford anything she wishes from your little shop."

Poppy's eyes went wide as she realised just who she had in her shop and the potential for her business. 

"I do apologise if my meaning wasn't clear, but I can assure you I made no such suggestion."

Selene nodded her acceptance although she didn't look like she believed her. 

"How about we pick a style and then think about colour?" Poppy suggested, still trying to get back in her good books and Selene agreed, it seemed like as good a place as any to start. 

***  
Selene stepped out of the changing room, lifting her arms and doing an experimental turn to show off the dress, knocking over a chair and catching the curtain of the changing room on the large hem. 

"Well, it's… It's certainly pretty," Penelope hedged, taking in the sight before her. 

"You look like a cake topper," Kayo added. 

"Nope! Next!" 

Poppy pulled back the curtain and helped Selene to step up onto the box they used as a small display stage for the bride-to-be to display her dress to her attentive bridal party. 

Selene shuffled her way through a twirl, the tightness of the dress hindering her movements. 

"It's a little tight," Penny observed. 

"I can see your butt crack and nipples," Kayo informed her. 

"Next!" Selene took the mimosa that Poppy's assistant handed her and downed it in one. 

"It's a bit shapeless," Penelope hedged, casting an experienced eye over the dress that was hanging off Selene like a sack. 

"It looks shit," Kayo insisted. "Take it off." 

Sighing, Selene accepted the next dress. 

"It's a classic," Penny mused, "but it's a little old fashioned for you." 

"You look like you're playing dress up in your Grandmother's wardrobe," Kayo slurped down half her drink, sucking enthusiastically on the straw. 

An increasingly exasperated Poppy ushered Selene back into the dressing room and wrestled her into the next offering. 

"It's a little too modern," Penny winced. "Quite low cut." 

"Your tits are falling out and you look like a vegas hooker," Kayo informed her, pouring herself another drink and topping up their glasses while the assistant dug frantically through the rack looking for something, anything that would do. 

Selene shook her head, already dragging at the sequined monstrosity. 

***

Two hours, eight cocktails and twelve dresses later and Selene was despairing, Kayo was prowling the shop like a restless panther and even Penelope had had enough of shopping. 

"So no sheath dresses, no powder puffs, no princess dream, no cap sleeves, no spaghetti straps, no bustles, no trains and no V necks?" Poppy confirmed. 

"Nope, none of those, and no sweetheart necklines either," Selene added. 

Poppy looked like she wanted to cry. 

"Hey," Kayo called from the depths of the shop where she had been rummaging. "What about this?" 

She hauled out a black and purple trumpet cut dress, one that had a neat shoulderless bodice that laced up the back with silky black ribbon. The dress itself was made in two parts, a dark purple, almost plum colour bodice and body conforming dress that went down to just past the hips where it then flowed out and down to the ground,with a layer of black lace decorated netting that flowed over the bodice and the skirt. 

"I know you said no lace bu-" 

"I love it!" 

"That's not a wedding dress," Poppy protested. "It was one we made for a stage show that was never used."

"I want to try it on," Selene insisted. 

She grabbed the dress off Kayo, who was looking very pleased with herself mostly because it seemed that the torture of shopping was very nearly over. 

Poppy helped her into the dress, tightening the ribbons and hooking the bodice closed. The dress fit her like it had been made for her, something that had amazed Poppy, who was used to having to make adjustments to most dresses she sold. 

Selene stepped out of the changing room to a delighted gasp from Penelope. 

"Oh, that's perfect, just wonderful. It's very you." 

"I'll take it!" 

Poppy slumped in relief. 

"Now we just need dresses for these two," Selene grinned evilly. 

"Do I have to?" Kayo protested. "You know I hate dressing up."

"Its a wedding, you have to have a dress," Poppy insisted. 

"Who made that rule?" Kayo demanded, narrowing her eyes and looking very much like she wanted to hunt down the person who had laid down such a bullshit decree and take their head off. 

"I promise you, if you don't find a dress you like you can wear whatever the hell you want," Selene soothed. 

"Even pants?" 

Selene nodded. 

"Deal."

Poppy started to witter on about cuts and body types but the more she talked the more murderous Kayo's expression became until she gave up and suggested that they help themselves. 

As it turned out it was a lot easier to let Penelope and Kayo haunt out their own choices, both of them knowing their preferred tastes. And since the wedding had no theme and Selene had given them free rein to pick whatever they wanted, even Kayo completed the task with a minimum of fuss. 

Penelope picked out a gorgeous sheath dress with a mandolin neck in an antique gold colour that went perfectly with her hair. 

Kayo chose a cocktail dress with a floaty hem that hugged her curves to perfection while still being short enough and loose enough for her to move freely. The deep red colour worked so well with her colouring and made her look absolutely beautiful. 

"If I have to wear a dress, this one isn't too bad," she admitted, examining herself from all sides in the mirror. 

"You look ravishing," Penelope gushed, her words a little less clipped and loose due to the lubricating nature of the drinks they had indulged in. 

"I think this calls for a celebration," Selene suggested, "I know a great club not far from here. What do you say girls, shall we make a night of it?" 

***

Selene was still feeling delicate in the head and blistered in the feet two days later when Penelope's portrait beeped.

"Hi, Penny," Jeff greeted her as he accepted the call from his desk. 

"Oh, hello, Jeff." 

"Is this a pleasure call, or is there a problem?" Jeff,wanted to know, ever in the alert. 

"Actually I called to talk to Selene and John, are either of them around?"

Selene raised an arm feebly from her spot on the couch, lifting her head from Virgil's lap where she was currently laying with a cold cloth over her eyes. 

"What's up?" 

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we seem to have made the weekly gossip columns." 

"We what?" Selene sat up quickly, tossing the cloth onto the table. 

"I've set you the articles, but I warn you, they aren't very complimentary."

"Oh Gods, do I even want to look?" She reached for her phone anyway, having not checked it that morning. 

She clicked on the link that Penny had sent her, preparing for the worst. Unfortunately it was more horrible than she had feared. 

Virgil leant over to see what was going on, his eyebrows drawing down into an epic frown as he read the headline aloud. 

"Thunderbird Fiancée shows her true colours as a good time party girl after dress shopping. Exclusive pictures below." 

"Selene Tempest, seen for the first time since the death of her father, seems to be taking her role of Bridezilla seriously," Selene took over, reading from the article. "Our insider informed us that she was in the shop for over four hours, disregarding every dress she was offered in her quest for perfection, stating that money was no object." 

"I paid for that bloody dress!" she raged." Why are they making it out like I'm some gold-digger?"

Virgil tried to take the phone off her but she wouldn't let him. 

"Miss Tempest, the beloved socialite Penelope Creighton-Ward and their unknown acquaintance, made good use of the complimentary drinks the shop provided, making the whole day a rather raucous affair, before continuing the party in a local nightclub in the bohemian Camden."

Selene scrolled through to the pictures showing her, Penelope and Kayo all laughing as they shared a drink in the dress shop, one of Penelope posing in the dress she had picked out, all three of them dancing in the club and, most upsetting of all, a candid shot of Selene emerging from the dressing room in her dress. 

"Well, that's ruined the surprise," Selene tried to joke, although the anger and upset she felt at seeing her gorgeous dress revealed to the world couldn't be hidden from her voice. It was totally ruined for her, there was no way she would wear it now. 

Virgil's arm went around her shoulders, pulling her in for a hug but she didn't allow it for long, knowing that if she let herself to sink into his comforting embrace she'd break down completely. 

"I'm sorry, I thought it was best you knew," Penelope explained. "Paparazzi are a hazard in our world and unfortunately they have very few morals."

"I'm cancelling the order of that dress, are you keeping yours?" 

Penelope shook her head. "I don't think they deserve our custom. I'll talk to Kayo and arrange for a new dress for her if she doesn't want to shop for herself. But what about yours?" 

Selene sighed, trying to pull her thoughts together. "I don't know yet, but whatever I do you can guarantee I won't be going anywhere public for it." 

"You know," Jeff interrupted, "Mother made her own dress and used to be a dab hand with her sewing machine back in the day, I'm sure she would love to help."

"That might be the perfect solution," Penelope agreed. 

"And that way I can design my own and have something even better," Selene mused, her brain already whirling. 

"Plus it might keep Grandma occupied for a while," Virgil added. 

"Bonus. But this is just the start, isn't it? We're going to have to deal with a lot more than this." 

"I'm afraid so," Penelope admitted. 

Visibly pulling herself together, Selene squared her shoulders, her chin lifting in determination. "Then I guess we have to do what we do best, plan everything ourselves and in total secrecy."

She turned to the portrait wall. 

"John!" 

He popped up almost instantly. 

"I've just seen it, I-" 

"No time, my dude, we've got plans to make. No fucker is going to ruin our wedding. Send down the elevator, I'm coming up."


	45. Planning for Death

The man could only be seen in profile, the room he sat in so dark that you could make out nothing of his features, even his voice was carefully neutral, leading them to believe that he was using some kind of voice modifier. 

It didn't matter to them who he was though, just that he was the one paying them ridiculous amounts of money to follow his instructions to the letter. They never questioned the reasons behind their clients instructions, it wasn't their place to, they were just there to do the job. 

***  
He could still picture the scene perfectly, even though he tried to avoid doing so. No one wanted to be reminded of the day their world had come crashing down around them and changed forever. 

She had been everything to him, the only family he had ever known and truthfully the only family he had ever felt he needed. She had never remarried, nor had he ever known her to even go out on a date. Her whole world had revolved around him. 

He had gotten used to the taunts, the sneering chants of "mama's boy, mama's boy" every time he had broken down in tears, the bullying getting to be too much. It hadn't been his fault that he didn't have the latest fashions on his feet or the newest phone in his pocket, his mother worked long hours in a job she hated just to keep the roof over their heads and just enough food in the cupboards to fill their bellies. 

But they had been happy, she had been the very best mother that a boy could ever have wanted. Caring and kind to a fault, cherishing him above all others. She had never blamed him for ruining her life or for holding her back from the things that she would have liked to have done had he not existed. She had showered him with love and affection. 

He had only asked her once where his father was, but the sadness in her eyes had made sure he never asked again. 

"Your father was a good man," she had smiled. "And I loved him very much. “

"Then why did he leave us?" he had asked with all the innocence of childhood, not knowing just how painful his question would be. 

"He didn't leave us, Bayi, he died." 

"I want to know all about him, Beguk," he had demanded. His mother had laughed, she had the sweetest laugh, like the tinkling of a bell, and ruffled his hair, kissing him softly on the forehead. 

"When, you're older, Bayi, when you're older."

But he never got a chance to ask her again. A fatal seizure from undiagnosed Epilepsy had made sure of that. 

He'd walked home from school for lunch, it being cheaper for him to eat at home, and found her in their kitchen, her right arm blistered, the now cold and empty kettle beside her on the floor. 

The doctor had said that her dizzy spells had been far more serious than she had ever believed, although lack of funds had meant that she had never visited a doctor, 

She had been cremated with little ceremony and he had become a ward of the state, spending the years between 8 and 18 as an orphan with no known family. 

The day after his eighteenth birthday he had been called into the office of the orphanage that had been his home for the past ten years. He was handed a box of his mother's belongings, a small amount of money and the keys to a room in a hostel and was instructed to pack his meagre belongings. 

He was on his own. 

He had spent his first night alone with nothing but the bare essentials in his room and a box of memories. In it he had discovered things about his mother that he had never known before, finding her birth certificate and his, her passport, a number of letters from her to her family, all returned unopened, and two from the man that his mother had loved so much along with a picture of his heavily pregnant mother and the man who had fathered him. 

***

"You have your orders, you know what to do. You will do everything in your power to bring International Rescue to the scene, and when you do, we shall be watching them. We know the mistakes of the past made by those who wished to bring about their downfall, they thought too small. The world is bigger than just their operation, they are just the tip of the iceberg, but they are one of the biggest cogs in the wheel, but by no means the only one."

Twelve faces on twelve screens nodded their understanding. 

"You will not engage, you will not attack, you will simply observe. Many a battle has been lost through underestimating your enemy. These and the coming months are nothing but a fact finding mission. I want to know everything about them, even the things you may deem insignificant. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, and we shall be keeping the closest of eyes on them. Do you understand your orders?"

Again they nodded. 

"End transmission." 

The screens went dark as he cut the feed. 

***

"I don't care! I'm not listening!" 

"You have to care, because it's a fact! You can't change it, it's been this way for over fifty years!

"Fifty years? Is that all? Just because a bunch of scientists and astronomers suddenly decided it doesn't count?" 

"I'm one of those astronomers!" 

"And I don't care! I don't give two shits what you and your little space buddies say, I refuse to acknowledge it." 

Selene stomped through the lounge from the sleeping quarters, John following closely behind. 

"You have to care, because you're wrong!" 

She spun around to face him, both of them seemingly oblivious to the fact that they had an audience, and a very captive audience at that. They had never seen Selene and John argue like this, John never yelled. 

"Ha! And I say it again, ha! Because that's what I think of your opinion. You say it's wrong, so that's the way it has to be. What you say goes. You always have to be right."

"I always have to be right? Have you met yourself?" 

"I have, and I'm fabulous. You on the other hand, are annoying."

"What are they arguing about?" Gordon whispered to Scott, who shrugged. 

"I'm annoying? You're the one arguing scientific facts based on what? Come on, give me one good reason. Just one." He crossed his arms, bestowing a glare on her that had beaten down untold numbers of unhelpful officials and rescuees over the years, but had zero impact on the love of his life. 

"I have one very good reason."

Scott and Gordon actually leaned closer, waiting to see what her one good reason was, even Jeff had put down his tablet to see what all the fuss was about. 

"And that is?" He couldn't think of a single thing that could be a valid argument. 

"I refuse to piss off the Lord of the Underworld."

"Must be something to do with the wedding," Scott whispered back to Gordon, "some pagan thing? Weddings can make anyone stressed."

John blinked. Had he heard her right? 

"Can you repeat that?" Because I don't think I heard you correctly."

"Oh you heard me, you just didn't want to listen. I know you." 

"The reason you give for arguing that Pluto is a planet is that you refuse to piss off a god?"

Scott burst out laughing, he couldn't hold it in any longer. 

"That's right. I am not prepared to risk it. Hades is a fair god, even though he gets a bad rap, but I'm still not willing to tell one of the big three that he's been demoted. Pluto is a planet, it's a forgotten planet, but a planet none the less and nothing you can say or do will change my mind."

"I have proof!" 

Selene waved her hand dismissively. "And I don't want to see your proof. It's boring and I don't care. You do you, boo."

"It's a dwarf planet, a dwarf. There is scientific proof, it does not meet the the criteria to be classified as a planet."

"Did you just say that Hades is too small to count?" The shocked look on her face was hilarious to behold. "You keep your little scientific knowledge and I'll keep the favour of the one that will decide my fate when I die. You wanna be stuck in Tartarus for eternity, go for it. Me, I'll be living my best afterlife, I'm going straight to the good times, baby!"

"Did you really need to emphasise that with a hip swivel?" 

"Yep," she popped the P loudly. "I'll need me a new husband by that point because he'll have let Cerburus eat you." She bumped her hip against his and walked away. 

"We are not done with this discussion!" 

She flipped him the bird, not looking back. 

"Give it up, bro. You're never going to win against her," Scott commiserated. 

John flopped down on the couch with an exasperated sigh. "I'll never understand that woman, never."

"Welcome to the world of women, son, "Jeff added.

"How can she argue with facts?" 

"Because women have their own unique logic that we are not privy to and never will be," Jeff answered. "Let me bestow upon you the wisdom my father once told me."

All three sons gave him their full attention, ready to partake of his genius. 

"Women don't care about facts, they deal in feelings and they are ruthless, often bringing out their greatest weapons."

"And they are?" 

"Tears, breasts and the withholding of sexual favours. Most of the time it's not worth arguing with them, but if you insist on being an idiot, protect your balls."

Gordon howled with laughter, Scott joining in a second later. 

"Thanks for that, Dad. Remind me again why I'm getting married?" 

"Nothing to do with me, son. I wasn't even here when you asked her, that's all on you."

"I'm beginning -" John's comm beeped. "Yes, EOS?" 

"Hello, John, you said to report anything where International Rescue might be of use. There is a breaking news report on almost every channel, though we have not received any calls for it as yet."

"Thanks, EOS, keep monitoring for me."

Jeff was already moving to turn on the holoprojector. 

"Early reports can not confirm the origin of the explosion that rocked the Clifton Mall in San Diego, and police are unwilling to comment on the possibility that it may be counted as a terrorist attack. Local rescue crews are on the scene and doing all they can to help the walking wounded as they await permission to enter the building as well as out of area teams as back up crews. "

They all watched as the camera panned away from the news anchor to show the devastating scene. Flames were licking at the roof of the building, or at least what was left of it, smoke billowing out of ragged holes that had been blasted outward. What looked like hundreds of people milled around, dodging between or climbing over piles of rubble, some standing out as emergency services but others were obviously civilians. A sea of people in torn and bloody clothes, their desperate screams and wailing sobs could be clearly heard as they searched frantically for their lost family members. 

"Selene! Alan! Virgil!" Scott yelled, already running for his launch chute, not waiting for Jeff to issue the order. 

All three arrived around the same time, rushing into the lounge from various directions, skidding to a halt when they saw the news. 

"Gordon, Alan, let's move," Virgil ordered, his booted feet thumping the floor as he walked. 

"I'm going too," Selene announced. 

"No you aren't," John insisted, grabbing her arm as she passed by. 

"Who made you the boss of me?" she snapped back, shaking off his hand. "There are families down there and if there's anything I can do to help them, I'm going to be there."

"Now is not the time to start another argument," Jeff stepped in. "You're both going, it's all hands on deck for this one."

"But won't you need me help here?" John asked, clearly worried about both his system and the state of the rescue. 

"Your Grandma can help, and we have that computer of yours-" 

"EOS," John interrupted, "her name is EOS and she's far more than a computer." 

Selene took his hand, their previous argument forgotten, giving it a quick squeeze. "Babe, we'll do this later, come on, we don't have a lot of time."

John nodded, accepting the wisdom of her words, but he didn't look happy about it. 

Together they followed after Gordon and Alan to get suited up.


	46. Decisions made in haste.

"Remember to keep your comms open at all times, don't take unnecessary risks and don't go in anywhere alone. Two to a team at all times," Virgil instructed.

"Yeah, we know, be sensible, be safe," Gordon assured him. "We got it." 

"Thunderbird One to Thunderbird Two, come in Virgil." 

"Go ahead, Scott." 

"I am approaching the danger zone now, what is your ETA?" 

"We're just under seven minutes behind you. I've got a full crew here, just let us know when and where you need us." 

"FAB, I'm going to check in with the emergency teams and get as much information as possible from them."

"No need, Scott," John informed him, "Dad already made contact and they are sending through all the information they have. Dad wants you to send down some drones into the building and get an idea of the situation inside. The equipment that the fire service has just isn't up to the task."

"So I'm basically being used as a scout?" Scott's tone implied that he was anything but happy about the idea. 

"For now," John hedged. 

"FAB," Scott snapped out between gritted teeth, his hologram blinking away. 

Everyone in Two was silent for a few moments, until Selene broke the tension. 

"Fine, I'll be the one to say it, what the fuck is your Dad on?" 

"He's doing his best," Virgil sighed. 

"Someone needs to talk to him about this," Selene pushed. "Because I'm telling you, I'm with Scott on this one. I know that ultimately it's my choice to come with you all, so I'm going to put my trust in the people that I know have the most experience and the best grip on the situation, and that is not your Dad. So you can keep me out of Jeff's plans."

"You really are in the most argumentative mood today, aren't you?" John sighed, "but in this… honestly, I can't say that you're wrong."

***

They found Scott talking to the fire captain, the chief of police and the lead paramedic, all of whom were trying to work together to coordinate their actions and pool their resources to organise the best rescue they could. 

They were all crowded around Scott as he flipped from one drone to another, showing them the feeds and guiding them as he'd been instructed to do. 

John joined them, pulling out his portable drive and setting it up on the hood of a police car, using it to converse with EOS. A hologram flared into life, projecting out, hovering in the air over the handheld device that linked him directly to EOS and Five. He quickly pulled up the floor plan for the building and began inputting the data from Scott's drones, trying to create the clearest map he could, scanning for and cataloguing life signs. 

Virgil spoke to the fire captain and, after checking John's map and the thermal readouts from the dones, they concluded that it would be useful to try the Fire Suppression System aboard Two. 

"I have four teams of six in that building, systematically working their way through a level each, trying to subdue the fires, but it's a six storey building and the flames are rising, I just don't have the manpower to tackle it alone. If you can take care of the top, we'll work our way up to you. Once the fires are out, then we can work on getting the people out," Captain O'Hana explained. 

"On it," Virgil assured him, taking Alan with him. Within three minutes they had Two hovering over the building, the speakers of its powerful stereo system angled downwards towards the flames. 

The sound of a low frequency base pumped rhythmically through the air and almost instantly the flames began to respond, stuttering, diminishing. 

"As best we can tell, the explosion happened on the second floor, two levels up from the basement parking lot. Levels one and two are public places, one being the stores and two being the food court, restaurants and movie theatre. Luckily the movie theater and most of the restaurants hadn't opened for the day. The explosion happened somewhere inside the theater. The floor collapsed right down to the basement where we know some people are trapped. We managed to evacuate around ninety percent of the shoppers that were inside. We're expecting there to be a number of fatalities and those seriously injured but we're having trouble getting to them. If we can get the fires under control we can get in there to start digging."

"John?" Jeff's voice floated from the comm. "Status report."

John quietly filled their father in on the situation as it stood, while Scott and Gordon continued to make plans. 

"Scott?" 

"Yeah, John?" 

"Dad wants a word, he's got some instructions for you." 

John transferred Jeff through to Scott's comm, returning to his map building. 

"Dad?" Police Chief Thompson confirmed. "So he's not the one in charge of your operation?" He gestured to Scott's retreating back. "It's the guy we spoke to earlier?" 

Gordon shifted uncomfortably, but Selene stepped up. 

"Scott is commander of the ground force team, that's all that matters." 

"And you are?" 

"Getting pissed off. We're here to help, our machinery is far superior to anything you can lay your hands on and all you're doing is questioning us. Maybe it's our turn to question things, makes me wonder just how much you actually care about getting all those that are trapped out alive."

Scott's hand landed on her shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze, both in thanks for her support but also in a warning to calm down, although he was wise enough not to say it. She nodded and stepped aside to let him talk. 

"My people and I are prepared to do anything we can to help as many people as possible but we can't keep checking in with you before we make a move. We need the freedom to do as we see fit. You know our reputation, you know we get the job done. Do we have your cooperation or not?"

"Well…I...I supposed if there's no alternative," Thompson spluttered, not liking to be put in his place by a man more than twenty years his junior and a young slip of a girl who had a mouth like a sailor. But he knew the score, the world's media was watching, and now that International Rescue were there, people would expect results, he couldn't very well stop them. They had a reputation that far preceded his own. He had no choice.

"There isn't," Scott insisted, dismissing him as unimportant as he turned back to his crew. 

"Dad wants us to configure a mole pod and make our way down to the basement parking lot. The drones and John found a pocket of people located in the far South-western corner, they're safe for now but there is fire two floors above them that the fire crew are still battling. Virgil can only do so much from the air so he's coming down to drop off the mole and then he and Alan will use the fire fighting foam in conjunction with the fire suppression system to try to contain the flames."

They all nodded. 

"Gordon and I will take the pod, Selene and John will stay up here. Selene, I need you to talk to as many people as you can that are still searching for missing family and friends and try to put together a comprehensive list so we know how many people we are searching for. Find out where they were when the explosion happened, and what they remember straight after, that should help with locations. Then John will use the feeds from the drones as well as EOS to scan for life signs. It's not worth trying to use thermal imaging in a situation like this, so we need to know exactly where we're aiming for. Once we've got the people out of the basement we'll come back up and reconvene for another briefing. Sel, I need you to make sure you are liaising with the fire crew and paramedics, they are still bringing people out and we need to make sure we cross them off our lists. Any questions?"

They all shook their heads. 

"Alright, Gordon, let's move, Sel, get going, John, keep in constant touch."

A chorus of FAB's answered him. 

***

Virgil was not happy as he watched his bird fly off without him. Yeah, he trusted Alan with her, he was a truly gifted pilot having been flying all his life and all of them were trained in each other's crafts should the need arise, but it still cut deep to give up control. 

His dad had once again cut in to give him his orders, requesting that he leave Alan to the fire fighting, as well as the professionals inside and help with the extractions, contradicting his previous instructions for them to stay in teams of two. 

He'd donned his exo-suit and gotten down to some serious heavy lifting. He'd be lying if he didn't admit that he was taking out a fair bit of his frustration on the piles of rubble that were blocking their access. 

***

Gordon and Scott had used the mole pod to tunnel down below street level, guided by John, to where the shoppers were trapped. They had quickly counted up the people there, twenty-three, way too many to remove one at a time. 

The fires on the upper levels were almost out but the lower ones were causing trouble. Alan couldn't use the firefighting foam or fire in any extinguishers until everyone was out as it was toxic to humans in as large a quantity as they would need. They had to get the trapped civilians out as soon as possible before the fires raged out of control. 

The fire fighters had reached the limit of their capabilities, having run out of the small but powerful portable extinguishers they called rollers, yet smaller pockets of fire still raged on the first and second floors, the smoke from which was pouring through the holes caused by the initial explosion. If the flames didn't get to those trapped, smoke inhalation would finish them off.

“It’ll take us near a minute to get down there in the mole, maybe another minute to load up a civilian, another to return to the surface and another to unload and start again, that's four minutes, five if you allow for any problems, times that by twenty-three some of which are injured and that's just not the kind of numbers we want to see. More than half those people will be dead before we can get to them,” Scott informed both the fire Captain and the head of the paramedic team. 

“Do you not have any other equipment that could get them out?” Captain O’Hana asked, growing more and more frustrated.

“No,” Scott assured them. “If we did we’d be using it already. Even our resources have their limits and to bring the fire suppression equipment and the mole pod we had to leave some behind. Our pod vehicles are designed for smaller rescues, one to two people maximum, we simply don’t have anything that can get more than twenty people out of a hole at once.”

“Then what do you suggest?”

Scott paused, taking a sip of water from the bottle Selene had handed both him and Grodon as they had emerged. His brain churned, thinking up and then rejecting a number of scenarios before settling on the only one that really seemed viable.

“I’d suggest that we gather as much protective gear, rebreathers, fire blankets and masks, as we can and take them down in the pod. Then, those that can walk unaided can make their own way up the shaft created by the mole, while we concentrate our efforts on helping and removing those who are injured.”

“Is that our only option?”

“It’s the only one I can see,” he assured them.

“Then I say we do it.”

***

“We are doing all we can, we’re helping everyone we can, no one is being intentionally left behind. We’re doing our best, I promise,” Selene assured the woman who had grabbed hold of her arm, demanding to know where her husband was. The woman had a small child clinging to her leg, but both appeared to be unhurt. 

“But he’s still in there somewhere, my Charlie. Oh, we should never have split up, I told him so. But he never likes the shops I do,” she wrung her hands in distress, her eyes wide with fear as she took in the sight before them. 

Selene glanced over at the mall and had to admit it did look like something out of a disaster movie. A massive hole had been blasted through the side of the building, exposing the innards of its structure, the separate floors, pipework and electricals. Water was pouring out of the hole from a ruptured water main, but it was doing nothing to quell the flames which glowed red from within the plumes of smoke that billowed out.

“He’s on my list, but I do need you to calm down if you can and try to think clearly. Where were you when the explosion happened?”

“I...we," she gestured to her child,"were inside Budget Shoe, kids just wear through them so fast don't they? It’s just not worth paying for the more expensive brands. Charlie had wanted to check out Outdoor Heaven on the other side of the complex, so we split up.”

“So, just to confirm, you two were in Budget Shoe which,” she checked John’s map on her comm to confirm her facts, “which is near the south entrance, your husband was in or near the north side?” 

The woman nodded. “We were lucky that we could just run right out with everyone else.”

“Yes you were, but we will do everything we can to find him for you. Please, try to stay calm and just trust us to do our jobs,” she assured her, giving the woman's hand a squeeze. “I’m going to get this information to John, he’s our coordinator and the best there is.”

“The best there is,” the woman snorted. “I hear that all the time and people are never as good as they say.”

“He is,” Selene assured her. “They all are.”

“Do you trust him?” the woman asked, her eyes locking on to Selene’s, begging her to tell the truth. “Because that’s what I’m doing here, trusting that you people know what you’re doing. That’s my husband in there, would you trust them with your husband, with your family?”

Selene looked the woman dead in the eyes. “I already am. That is my man, they are my family, and I’m trusting them to risk their lives to save others, including your husband. So when I say that he is the best, I'm not saying it as his fiancée, I'm saying it as someone who knows them better than anyone."

The woman's grip slackened on Selene’s wrist, allowing her to pull free, visibly pulling herself together. 

“I have to go, but I’ll be back. I promise," instinctively she pulled the woman into a tight hug. 

Leaving the woman and her child, Selene made her way through the crowds of people to John, checking her list as she walked and visually cataloguing the crowd for people she might have missed.

“Hey,” John greeted her as she reached his side. “What have you got for me?”

“Just more of the same.” She began to read off her list, waiting as he transferred the information to his own work, watching as the picture built up on the holoscreen in front of him. “That’s weird.”

“What is?” he didn't glance up from his work, but his tone showed he was listening to her so she did not take it personally.

“Well, if I'm reading this correctly, those yellow lines are the power cables, those green ones are gas and those blue are water, right?”

“Correct.”

“And it’s pretty obvious where the explosion happened,” she gestured over her shoulder to the gaping hole in the side of the building. “And all these reports confirm it. Yet we still don't know why?”

“Nothing concrete.”

“It can’t be down to anything structurally in the building, not the gas because it’s not plumbed in that far up, just for the food courts here in the west side,” she leant closer, running her finger over the map. “I mean, it could be faulty electrics, but could that make that kind of explosion?”

“No,” John frowned as he followed the direction of her thoughts, checking her information with his own. “And everyone you spoke to confirmed that it originated here? With no warning? No sparks or electrical problems that could indicate it was a wiring issue?”

She shook her head. “None. Did the fire service not ask any of this?”

“They didn't have time, they went straight in. EOS scan the north side again for me, running a check for any chemicals that aren’t part of the standard construction or any gases that aren't a result of the fire suppression systems.” 

"Right away, John." 

He scanned the readouts as they appeared on his screen, looking for anything out of the ordinary. 

His eyes caught a flicker of something and honed in on it.“There! That shouldn't be there, that’s not in any of the materials reported to be used in the construction.”

“So this confirms it?”

He nodded. “This was no accident.”

“Do you think there could be more inside? Can EOS scan for them?”

“I don’t know, theoretically she can, but if it's a self contained unit then she won't get a reading until it's too late.” He turned to yell over his shoulder.”Scott? We found something!”

Scott was there in an instant. “Show me what you’ve got.”

***

Virgil grunted with effort as he hefted a slab of concrete the side of a small car, shoving it aside, clearing a path through which the paramedics could crawl to reach the trapped man. 

They assessed the man as best they could in the tight confines of the rubble, but the pool of blood seeping out around him made it very obvious that he was badly hurt. 

"We have to get him out of here, now!" 

The paramedics moved back, getting out of the way as much as they could, giving Virgil room to maneuver as he stepped forward. 

"You guys ready?" he asked. They all nodded. 

Using the claw like grabbers of the exo-suit, he got a firm grip on the pillar that had fallen across the man's middle, pinning him in place. His arms flexed, his equipment reacting intuitively, designed to his exact specifications, working in sync. In one smooth move he lifted and moved the concrete aside. 

The man screamed, an agonising sound, as the weight was lifted off his crushed lower half, revealing the true extent of his injuries. 

Virgil had to look away for a second as the paramedics rushed in to immobilise him, working quickly to get a line in to start him on pain killing drugs and to move him onto a stretcher. 

"He's clear!" 

Virgil stepped back, allowing the pillar to slam back down to the ground, panting with exertion even with the help of his suit. 

“He gonna be OK?” he asked one of the paramedics.

“Between you and me, he’s already lost one leg and likely will the other too, I also suspect severe internal injuries and bleeding.”

Virgil nodded, not knowing what else to say. This was the hard part of the job, when they managed to get to people, but the damage had already been done. Turning away he touched the IR logo on his baldric.

“John? Is that everyone?”

“Let me just check,” John replied, going silent for a moment. “In that section, yes. Dad wants you to come back out and take a break before you go back in.”

“I’m fine, I don't need a break, just send me the next coordinates.”

“Not my authority, your orders are to retreat.” John clicked off.

His orders? Again with the orders, like he wasn't capable of thinking for himself, or making decisions for himself? Not like he really had a choice, he couldn't just stumble around blindly, he needed information, information he wasn't about to get without complying to his father's wishes. 

Virgil, his face like thunder, did as he was told. He was beginning to understand how Scott felt.

***

“Did you get everyone out of the parking lot?” Virgil asked as soon as he joined them.

“Yeah, three fatalities, two seriously injured, two with broken limbs and the rest were walking wounded,” Gordon answered, handing him a bottle of water.

Virgil took a grateful gulp, feeling like he had sweat out every drop of liquid left in his body.

“What’s going on?” he asked, spotting Scott and John crowded around the glowing map, along with Chief Thompson, Captain O’Hana and the lead paramedic who had introduced himself as Carson Grey.

“John found evidence of an incendiary device being behind the explosion. He’s worried there might be another. EOS is scanning but she’s been unable to locate anything as yet,” Gordon filled him in.

“And Alan?”

“Still working with the low frequency system, he’s just waiting for clearance to use the foam and put out the rest of the fires.”

“Scott?” Jeff’s voice broke in over the comms. “Status report.”

Even from a distance Virgil saw Scott roll his eyes, clearly getting fed up with the constant interruptions.

“There’s nothing to report yet,” he heard Scott answer. “We’re just looking into a few things.”

Without warning, Jeff tapped into the communications network, allowing him to see John’s screen.

“There’s evidence that this wasn't an accident?” Jeff snapped. “Why didn’t you call this in?”

“Because EOS is still scanning for other devices and we didn't have anything to report,” John replied.

Jeff made an impatient noise, one that Virgil clearly heard, as did Captain O’Hana.

“Why have you wasted so much time? That computer can’t do the job of a real human, I’ve told you this before,” Jeff lectured. 

“Now wait just a second-” John started to argue but Jeff cut in again.

“No, you wait a second, son. What makes you believe there is even a second device? Is there any evidence of it?”

“Not as yet,” John admitted. “But we have to check, there are still teams of fire fighters in there, and if we can’t get this fire under control it could spread, coupled with the devastation another explosion could cause, we can’t risk it.

“How many still in there?”

“There are two teams on the third and fourth floors,” John answered coolly, his patience wearing thin. “It’s right there on the screen.”

Jeff ignored his son’s pointed comment. “Send in a couple of those drones of Scott’s, use them to search, but make it quick, don’t waste too much time on it. There’s no evidence there even is a second device and any unneeded delays could cause more problems.”

Virgil had heard enough, he didn't do well with being stationary at the best of times, none of them did, but even less so when there was an emergency to deal with. The crowd outside had thinned, those that had been reunited with their loved ones had been moved on, those that were injured had been transferred to hospitals and the police were working on forcing back the camera crews and news reporters. No one was in immediate danger, the mall was clear of civilians, but there was still work to be done.

“I’m going back in,” he announced, handing Selene his empty water bottle.

“Wait, Virg!” Scott called. “It might not be safe in there yet.”

“Scott, it’s fine, “ Jeff interrupted. “I highly doubt there is even anything in there for the drones to find.”

“I’m going in,” Virgil insisted, pulling his helmet back on. “I’m taking the firepack with me.” 

***

After checking that everyone she had spoken to had been updated and as many families reunited as possible, Selene tracked down the woman she had promised to help, finding that Virgil had recovered her husband alive and relatively unhurt. She waved them off in the ambulance, promising to relay their thanks to the boys before she rejoined the group of people waiting for information. 

She stood back with Gordon, unable to do anything but watch as John and Scott completed a sweep of the basement and moved up to the first floor, concentrating their efforts on the South side, theorizing that it was the most likely place for a second device to be hidden.

She hated the tense set of her boys shoulders, the air of frustration and anger that was riding them. It wasn't right that they were being talked down to like that, that their decisions and expertise were being undermined by their own father. They had been the ones carrying International Rescue for the last eight years, far longer than Jeff had been active in it himself. They deserved far more respect than they were getting, especially from their own father.

“Nothing,” she heard Scott sigh.

“Just one more minute,” John insisted, tapping frantically at his screen, enlarging the feed. “I have a feeling and if there's one thing being with a witch has taught me, it’s not to ignore a feeling…” 

“Make it fast, you heard the old man,” Scott reminded him.

John nodded, guiding the drone down lower to the floor rather than keeping it near the ceiling for a birds eye view.

“John…”

John ignored him, maneuvering the drone around a corner. Something on his screen beeped.

“Got it! It’s there. We were right.”

There on the screen, just visible through the grating of an air vent set low in the wall, sat an innocent looking box.

“That’s it?” Scott asked. "You're sure?" 

“Definitely. I had EOS override the drones programming so she could take over, scanning from the inside, but this time looking for electrical signals.”

“I guess she's not so useless after all,” Scott grinned. “Can you tell anything about it?”

“Not like this, no, the drones just don't have the capabilities, they are meant for reconnaissance, not field work.”

“There has to be something we can do, we can’t just leave it there. None of us are bomb disposal experts.”

“Not my area,”John agreed. “Brains would stand a chance if he were here but he’s not.”

“No, “ Scott mused, mentally rolling through the equipment they had available. He really didn't want to risk any of his team going in there to allow Brains to see.

“If we had MAX with us we could have used him,” John sighed.

“MAX! “ Scott grabbed one of the newer packs out of his baldric. “I keep forgetting about this.” He pressed the button on the side of the container, which immediately began to open, shifting into Mini MAX. The cute little robot chirping happily.

“Oh, that is adorable,” Selene whispered to Gordon. “I want one.”

“Brains, are you there?” 

“R...right here, Scott.”

“John, you fill Brains in and get to work, I’m going to talk to Captain O’Hana,” Scott handed over the tiny robot, his eyes already searching for him in the crowd. 

***

“You need to get your people out of there, right now,” Scott insisted, growing angrier by the second as the older man stood stubbornly firm.

"The man on the call said there was no second bomb, now you’re telling me there is? And I’m supposed to just take orders from you? The guy in charge said differently and I’m inclined to believe him.”

"With all due respect, he’s not in charge here, I am. And I’m telling you we have a plan in progress, if you’d just let us do our jobs-” 

"No, he said he was. Get him back on the line, son, I want to talk to him again. I want to talk to the organ grinder, not the monkey. I'm putting my people at risk by going in there and I don't want any of you pretty boys bumbling around and making things worse. I've been doing this for over twenty years, you're expecting me to just shut up and do as you say? You can think again."

"One of my people is at risk here too, I've got my brother in there helping your team!"

"That's on you, do us all a favour and butt out, let us do our job," O’Hana answered, dismissing him with a wave of his hand. “We have a bomb disposal team on their way, we’ll take it from here. Call your brother out, stop that one that's still up there in that flashy green monster you have and go home.”

“Scott?” John called, coming over with his tablet. “Bad news. Brains says there is no auto shut off to this one. At best he can tell it’s operated by remote control. EOS is running scans trying to locate the signal to start a trace but it's proving to be quite elusive. There’s no standby signal that we can find.”

“So what you’re saying is that it could go off at any time?” Scott clarified. "With no warning?" 

“Essentially, yes.”

***

“Everyone down!” Virgil called over the roar of flames, dragging the nozzle hose out of the pack and preparing to let loose a fresh stream of foam.

As one the whole team ducked out of the way, allowing him to spray down the fire that was blocking their path.

“Virgil!” Scotts voice came loud and clear over the comm link in his helmet. “ Get out, now! We have located the second bomb but there’s no way of disarming it that we can tell. You have to retreat.”

“FAB!” 

He turned to the team leader, a lady by the name of Mags.

“I’ve had the order to retreat, my brothers found a second bomb.”

“We’ve had no such order, Tracy, we press on. But you can go.”

“Don’t be stupid, this isnt the time to risk your lives to save a few buildings. Everyone is out, the immediate area has been evacuated, it’s time to go.”

“No can-”

They felt the rumbling the second before the noise hit their ears, the sound of tearing metal accompanied by the roar of fresh flames from below.

“Go up!” Virgil yelled, pushing them ahead of him.

***

The teams outside watched in horror as the feed from Mini MAX blinked out the second the bomb detonated with a deafening bang. The whole south wall exploded outwards in a ball of flame, sending a hail of metal and concrete with it.

“DOWN!” Scott yelled and no one dared argue. They all hit the ground, covering their heads as debris rained down around them.

Smoke filled the air, choking them, clogging their noses and coating their lungs as they struggled to breathe. 

Selene felt Gordon’s arm fall heavily across her back, holding her in place as if he was worried that she’d be stupid enough to move.

What felt like hours passed before she felt the pressure of his arm ease as he got to his feet, helping her up, checking to make sure she was alright. 

“Virgil! Virgil come in! Answer me!” John was yelling into his comm, he looked a little shocked and disheveled but wasnt bleeding, which Selene took as a good sign. 

Scott was also on his feet, his voice carrying above the commotion as he demanded status reports and joined John in trying to reach Virgil. 

She and Gordon didn't hesitate, not waiting to see if it was safe, they rushed over, both needing to see for themselves that everyone was unhurt.

“You can’t go in there,” O’Hana was yelling at Scott, who was trying to force his way through the crowd.

“My brother is in there!” he yelled back. 

"I don't care about him, I care about my teams, a trust fund boy over eight professionals, it's a no brainer!" 

That succeeded in bringing Scott to a halt. He stopped dead, slowly turning to face the Captain, his expression one of deadly rage. 

"Shit!" Gordon yelped, seeing the danger at the same time Selene did.

"Why you arrogant, ungrateful fucker!" Scott bellowed. 

Scott’s arm drew back, his hand balling into a fist as he faced the older man who had been winding him up and treating them all like shit since the moment they had arrived.

“Scott! No!” Selene dived forward, needing to stop him. The last thing they needed was Scott losing the last of his control and taking it out on someone. There was still the odd camera around and they didn't need their reputation tarnishing like that. 

Scott, blind to anything but his anger that had been building for far too long, from far too many directions, didn't hear her and kept moving.

That he would snap was inevitable, it wasn't in him to stay silent, to bottle up his opinions or feelings. 

Selene reached him just in time, latching on to his arm as he swung, aiming right for the smug face of O'Hana. 

Scott, not wanting to be stopped, needing the release, didn't appreciate being grabbed from behind and lashed out, yanking his arm free and shoving aside his assailant. 

"Get your hands off me!" 

The heel of Scott's hand connected with her chest in a brutal blow and Selene flew backwards, landing heavily on the ground.

John moved like lightning, his hand snatching at the back of Scott’s suit, yanking him to a stop. Scott retaliated in kind. He spun round already swinging, only just stopping himself in time when he saw who had hold of him.

“Don’t you dare move a fucking muscle,” John growled, his usually calm voice taking on a low, deadly tone, his hand switching to the front of Scott's uniform, balling it in his fist. 

“What the hell are you doing?” Scott started but ground to a halt, his eyes growing wide in horror as he caught sight of Gordon helping Selene up for the second time in less than two minutes.

“John, stop!” Selene protested. "Let him go." 

But John wasn't listening.

“Never touch her again, keep your fucking hands to yourself! You got it?”

“I...I didn’t mean to...I didn’t know it was her.” Scott’s face registered nothing less than utter devastation.

“If you have a problem within your team, son, you need to go and deal with it like adults and leave us professionals to do our jobs," O’Hana tutted, turning away.

"It's OK, I’m fine. Don’t worry about it," Selene protested, avoiding Gordon as he tried to check her over. “Gordon, stop! It’s just a bruised arse, I don't need babying.”

Gordon wisely let her go.

Selene approached cautiously, like one would a scared dog.

"John?" she laid a hand gently on his shoulder, letting him know she was there. “It’s OK, it’s not his fault, it’s mine. I shouldn't have grabbed him.”

John’s eyes flicked in her direction, but didn't linger.

“No, it's his fault. He’s been like a bear with a sore head all week and he brought that anger with him to an active rescue.” John's wrist twisted, tightening his grip on the material as if he wished it were his brother's throat. 

“You can't blame him, that guy was being a dick.”

“Don’t you dare defend him! Not in this, he doesnt deserve it.” He turned back to face Scott, using his grip on his collar to haul him closer, leaning in nose to nose. “If it's bothering you that much then you need to man up, grow some balls and tell dad to back off and stop undermining you. We've never had this trouble before. Either you speak to Dad or I will, because something needs to change before someone really gets hurt. But I’m warning you now, I don’t give a fuck who you are or how much she loves you, if you turn your anger on her again I will make you regret it.”

"I…I didn't…I wouldn't…"

"I'll be keeping a close eye on you, asshole."

John released his grip so suddenly that Scott stumbled, numb with shock and regret, his brain unable to fully process just what the fuck had happened or what he had done.

***

Selene batted away John's hands as he tried to yank down the back of her uniform, needing to check for himself that she really wasn't hurt. 

"Seriously, babe, calm down. I'm fine."

"My brother hit you, sending you flying and you're telling me to calm down?" 

"He didn't hit me, he shoved me, there's a difference. And you know as well as I do that he didn't mean to. Look at him, he's a wreck."

"That is not the point. I've been pretty understanding when it comes to you two, I know how close you are and I love that you are, but I won't have you let him get away with it."

"He's my best friend, you know I'm not going to leave him like that."

"And I'm your partner, weirdly enough, I have more rights than him," the sarcasm was practically dripping from his tongue. "You're my world and I'm not prepared to stand by and watch you get pushed around, literally, because he is in a bad mood."

Her arms crossed, a stubborn look forming on her face. "You're in just as bad a mood as he is and for the same reasons."

"Yes, I am, but I haven't let it leak out to the point of taking pot shots at people I love! He needed to hear it. He needs to take control of this before it gets any worse."

"Not like that, you could have waited until we got back."

"No, I couldn't. You know as well as I do that you would have done the same if it had been me that had been launched across the street."

She opened her mouth to argue but closed it again. He was right. She'd have been the same, likely worse if she was being honest. He'd managed to control himself even when he hadn't wanted to. She'd never seen him that angry before, hadn't actually thought he had it in him to act that way. It seemed today was one for changing your perspective. 

"You're right," she admitted. "I'd have smacked him right in the nose."

John sighed deeply, wrapping his arms around her, pulling her in tight to his chest. 

"Why is it always you that's in the middle of trouble?" 

"Why is it always involving your brothers?" she countered. 

That forced a small laugh out of him, although he didn't relax his hold. 

"I don't get it, why is he like this? I've never known him to be so submissive with anything. He's usually as stubborn as a mule. He never takes orders from anyone."

John shrugged. "It's Dad."

"That's not an answer."

"It's the only one I can give. You've said it yourself, we didn't grow up the way most people do. We didn't have a normal family where the dad works 9-5 and is home every weekend. He didn't play baseball with us, he ran drills and contingency plans. He didn't teach us to read, he taught us morse code. He didn't teach us to drive, he taught us to fly. He's always been the one we looked up to, but for Scott, he's practically God. They are so similar in so many ways, both military, both strong willed, but Scott still has that young boy at his core, the one that just wants to please his father and make him proud. To Scott, Dad is the superior officer, and you don't argue with your seniors, you don't tell them they are wrong. You accept your orders and you make it work."

"But this isn't the military, this is a family, and a family is supposed to support each other, listen to each other and do what's right. Scott needs to realise that and so does Jeff. He needs telling, they both do."

John nodded. "I know, and I meant what I said, either Scott steps up to deal with this or I will. I'm done with the softly softly approach, I'm done keeping my mouth shut. You might not have been seriously hurt this time, but I'm not prepared to risk you or anyone else again."

"I know, and you're right."

"Makes a change for you to admit it." 

"But Pluto is still a planet."

***

Virgil raced up the stairs to the higher floors leading the way, the rest of the fire team following close behind him.

“Alan, are you there? What the hell happened?”

“The secondary bomb just detonated. Any casualties?”

“Negative, we’re all OK. Heading up now, it would be great if you were there to pick us up.”

“FAB, big brother,” Alan laughed, thought the relief in his voice was plain to hear and Virgil just bet his sounded the same.

The top two floors had completely collapsed, the top of the building open to the elements. This made it both easier and more tricky for Virgil to get everyone to a safe spot so that Alan could lower the rescue line. They couldn't risk lowering the seats they would usually use, not knowing how unstable the remaining walls were. The last thing they needed was Two’s engines causing another collapse.

“I’m going to fire my grapple to create a zip line, as soon as it's secure I want you to attach your buckles to the line, two at a time. Crawl out to the center and wait for Alan to lower the cable. Attach the clip to your belts before you release yourself from the line. Understood?”

They all nodded, realising that they had no choice but to listen if they wanted to stand any chance of getting out of the raging inferno below them.

Virgil went first, heaving open the heavy fire door at the top of the thankfully undamaged stairwell. He climbed carefully over the mounds of rubble that littered the ground, stopping every few steps to test the stability of the floor. Only when he was sure it was safe did he gesture to the fire crew to follow him.

Standing at the edge of the chasm he took careful aim. His grapple flew straight and true, the powerful magnet latching on to the exposed metal beam directly across from them. He yanked hard, testing the grip before he hooked the line over a joist that looked to be solid enough. He tested it again, and then once more before he allowed the first two to ascend.

Alan was right there, exactly where he should be and Virgil doubted he could have done better himself. His baby brother held his ‘bird perfectly steady as he lowered the line down, having made a few adjustments within the pod, adding a footboard to the cable for them to stand on, giving them more stability.

The first six were retrieved with little trouble, the operation going smoothly. Virgil directing in between assuring John that he was indeed OK and that he had the situation under control. His brother’s voice was tense and held a note of anger that he couldn't remember hearing since they were teenagers, but he didn’t have time to worry about it at that moment.

Virgil gestured to the last two, Mags and her newest recruit, Jake. Carefully they inched their way across the line to the center point where Alan was lowering the cable once again.

Mags wasted no time in clipping the carabiner to her tool belt and unlatching her own, but Jake was a little slower. He fumbled with the catch, his hands shaking.

"Need help?" Virgil called. 

"No, we got it!" Mags called back. “Come on, newbie, you can do it,” she encouraged but it just seemed to make it worse.

“I...I can’t do it,” he answered, his voice trembling.

“Stay still, I’ll help,” she promised. She unclipped the carabiner from her belt and leant back, hooking her legs back over the line. Carefully she inched over to him, reaching out a hand. With a little effort she managed to get him hooked to the line that Alan was holding as steady as he could above their heads.

"Mags, come back, I'll go and help him!" 

"I said we've got it!" 

She inched her way back. 

“Stay still while I hook myself back up, then we let go together, OK?”

Jake nodded stiffly, his knuckles white as he held tightly to the line.

Mags made quick work of re-attaching herself to the line.

“Ready?” she called back to Jake, who nodded again.

“On three. One, two, THREE!”

They both let go of the line and Alan began to winch them in. The slack lessened as the platform slowly rose. It was at that moment Virgil realised that something was wrong. Very wrong.

Instead of lifting away, the grapple line was rising with them. Jake had neglected to release his own hook from the grapple line and now he was attached to them both, strung between the two. 

“Alan, stop!” Virgil yelled, but it was too little, too late. 

The walls shuddered, heaving under the pressure the line was putting on them. With a deafening noise of screaming metal the joist behind him gave way, tearing from the wall, an avalanche of concrete falling in its wake.

He had no choice. Taking a running leap, Virgil threw himself forward into thin air.

***

“Virgil! What’s going on? What happened?” John called through the comms as the top walls of the building gave up their fight with gravity and collapsed before their eyes.

They had all heard Virgil’s desperate yell a second before the walls had caved in and had stood, utterly horrified, now hearing nothing but silence. 

“Virgil, respond!”

Two was still hovering above the scene of the devastation and they all held their breath as the line continued to winch its way slowly back into the belly of the green beast.

Had he jumped? Had he made it? The tops of the firefighters helmets were just visible as they slowly ascended. 

“He's there!” Gordon pointed as the blue clad body of their brother appeared out of the wreckage, hanging from the platform that Mags and Jake were standing on. It seemed to take forever for the doors of the pod to close around them, sealing them safely inside. 

Ever the professionals, Virgil and Alan didn't hang around. With a roar of gas, streams of foam jetted out of Two’s cannons, dousing the remaining flames.

***

It was an exhausted, bruised bunch that arrived back at the Island two hours later.

Risking the wrath of John, Selene insisted on tracking down Scott, needing to talk to him. He had avoided all of them for the rest of their time there, returning to One to survey the area. As soon as the fire had been declared as fully out and Jeff had ordered them home he had shot off, leaving Two and her crew behind to make their slower journey. 

She knocked tentatively on his door, then louder when he didn't answer soon enough for her liking.

“Come on, let me in, you know I’m not going away until you do,” she called, banging her fist on the door.

She heard his footsteps coming closer, then the door creaked open.

“You look like shit,” she told him bluntly.

“Thanks.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” she moved forward, wanting so badly to hug him.

“No,” he sidestepped, dodging her embrace.

“No?” Gods, that hurt her heart.

“Sel, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, you can’t imagine sorry I am. I never wanted that to happen.”

“I know you didn't, I never thought for one second that you did. Why would I ever think that?”

“It should never have happened. I allowed my own issues to impact the mission and you got caught in the crossfire.”

“I’m fine. Totally fine. It’s not even an issue.”

“Yes, it is. Things have gone too far, something has to give, it has to change. I know that now. I can't keep working this way."

Something in his tone didn't feel right and again she reached for him, needing to offer comfort, to soothe the hurt she could feel coming off him in waves. 

“Scott, please? Talk to me.” This was her best friend, the one person, other than John, that she was closest to. They didn't keep things from each other, they didn't let things fester, they always talked it out. Often she and Scott felt more like a team than she and John did, they were both so similar in so many ways and when the two of them got an idea in their heads it was next to impossible to stop them. 

“I’ll see you later,” he said softly, shutting the door and shutting her out, leaving her standing alone outside his room. 

She laid her hand on the door, as if she could touch him through the thick wood. 

"Scott, you don't have to talk to me, but just know that I'm here and that I love you. I hate seeing you this way, I hate seeing you so angry and frustrated, so powerless. You have to do something about it because this can't go on. I've got your back and will support you in this a thousand percent, all of us will."

She waited but he didn't answer. 

"I'll see you downstairs in a bit, OK?" 

***

No one wanted to be there. No one wanted to debrief, to rehash the shit show of a day that they had just been through. Showers, a fresh change of clothes and food in their bellies could only go so far towards making them feel semi-human. What they really needed was sleep, to let unconsciousness suck them under and to slip in a deep, preferably dreamless, night's rest. But as usual, Jeff had gotten his way.

John had his arm around Selene, keeping her tucked firmly in against his side, his face set in an epic scowl that was rarely unleashed for such an extended period of time. No one could tell if he was protecting her, staking his claim or just too tired for any more bullshit. Honestly, it could go either way. 

Scott was sitting stiffly apart from everyone else, avoiding the circle of his family, not acknowledging the greetings from his brothers or the scowl John threw his way. 

Jeff was holding court in the middle of the sunken seating area, running through all the incidents that he thought had gone wrong and where they had made their mistakes. 

"You had a bad day, boys, but these things happen. You can't let it discourage you, we won't make the same mistakes again. Ultimately, it was positive, we got everyone out that could be saved and there were no new fatalities. Next time I'll keep a closer eye on what's happening in the field and take a more active role in the planning, maybe even go out with you."

Selene felt John stiffen, his arm around her tightening. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it again when she squeezed his hand in warning. Now was not the time to be speaking out and pushing buttons. They were all tired and liable to say things they might regret. He glanced at her, studying her face for a second before giving her the smallest, briefest of nods. He'd be quiet for now. 

"Does anyone have anything they'd like to add before we all go to bed for some well earned sleep?"

Alan, Gordon, Virgil and John all shook their heads. 

"Scott? Do you have something to say?" 

Scott cleared his throat, then nodded. Everyone tensed, clearly expecting to soon be witness to an epic showdown. 

Scott stood slowly, unfolding his long frame from his chair. 

They stayed silent, waiting for him to speak. 

"Come on, son, don't take all night," Jeff smiled tiredly.

Selene knew that look on his face, she'd seen it enough times. Scott had made his decision, just as he had said. 

Scott reached into his pocket and withdrew a neatly folded piece of paper. 

"Scott?" Virgil asked, his Scott sense tingling. Of all the brothers, Scott and Virgil were the closest, the two seeming to have an almost telepathic link, their awareness of each other unmatched by any other. 

Scott stepped forward, his hand outstretched, offering the paper to his father.

Automatically, Jeff reached out and took it. 

"What's this, another report?" 

Scott met his eyes, unblinking in their conviction, his chin set stubbornly, his mind made up. 

"No, it's my resignation."


	47. Revolution

Shocked gasps met Scott’s announcement. Had they heard that right? He couldn't be serious.

“Scott?” Virgil's voice was the quietest they had ever heard it.

“What is this ridiculousness?” Jeff asked, hurriedly unfolding the piece of paper, his eyes scanning the words. “Resignation? You have got to be joking.”

“I’m not joking, I’m deadly serious.”

“But why?”

Scott didn't answer, just continued to meet his father's gaze unwaveringly with his own.

“So you don’t have a reason?”

Again with that cold, resigned stare. He’d gone beyond rage now, Selene could tell. He was beyond anger, beyond being hurt and press ganged into doing as he was told. He had made his mind up, and Scott never changed his mind. 

Selene reached out a hand, wrapping her fingers around Scott’s but he ignored her, making no move to acknowledge her presence.

“This is unacceptable.” One, two, three savage rips later and the letter -now in pieces- floated sadly down to the ground. “You can’t just give up because you had a bad day. That’s not how the real world works, son. Tracys don’t quit.”

“Is that what you think this is about?” John asked quietly, though everyone heard him. 

“Well, what else could it be?” Jeff turned his angry eyes on his middle son. “Are you in on this too?”

“This has nothing to do with John,” Scott insisted. “This is on me. I almost hurt my best friend today because I couldn’t trust my own judgement or keep myself in check. I won’t risk anything like that happening again.”

“I can speak for myself,” John retorted. “This isn't about taking sides, this is about seeing things clearly.”

“What is there to see?” Jeff demanded to know. “Because all I’m seeing right now is adults acting like children who don’t want to follow the rules.”

Jeff’s words fell to earth with a heavy thud. It should have been a warning to him, he should have paid attention, but Jeff was oblivious to anything but his own indignation. 

“Yes, we’re adults, adults who can think for themselves and make their own choices as well as their own rules,” Scott answered. "We've been doing so for a long time." 

“And this is the decision you choose to make?” Jeff asked, ignoring Scott's last comment. 

“Yes. It’s the right decision.”

“You’re wrong. I refuse to accept this resignation rubbish. I think we all need to go to bed, have a good rest and we’ll all feel better in the morning.”

“I won’t be here in the morning,” Scott told him.

“Scott, please don’t do this,” Virgil pleaded, his voice filled with disbelief and pain.

“Really, and just where are you going to go?”

“My place,” Selene interrupted for the first time. She looked at John who nodded, getting to his feet.

“That’s where you’ll find both of us.”

“John?” Alan spoke for the first time, his eyes wide, unable to comprehend what he was witnessing. “What are you doing?”

“The right thing, Allie. You weren’t down there today, you didn't see what it was like.”

“No,” he answered, his voice suddenly full of anger. “I wasn’t, I was taking an active part in the rescue. I wasn’t just sitting around, I was doing my job. You don’t have to talk to me like I’m a child that doesn’t understand.”

“No one is doing that,” Scott protested. “We know that you are more than capable of understanding everything.” 

“So that’s it, you’re both just going to walk out on us?”

Scott shook his head. “No one is walking out on you.”

“Why don’t you both just calm down and think. It’s been a tough few months, maybe you just need a break?” Gordon suggested.

“Yeah, that’s a good idea,” Jeff agreed. “Take a week, go on vacation, you’re all due some leave.”

“I don’t think a vacation will fix this,” Gordon said sadly.

“No, it won’t,” John agreed. “Until certain people start to see things clearly.”

“If you leave now, don’t bother coming back until you’ve grown up and are ready to appologise,” Jeff warned. That was a mistake.

“That's not on us. You have to be ready to listen and see things someone else's way for once,” Scott snapped.

“What about the rest of you? Are you planning on leaving too?” Jeff demanded to know, clearly missing the meaning of Scott’s words or choosing to ignore them.

“Well, are we on our own here?” Scott asked the other three. “Virgil?”

“I’m sorry, it’s not that I don’t understand, I do, but I just can’t go with you. I couldn’t live with myself if someone lost their life because we weren’t there. I just can’t do it.”

“Me neither,” Gordon said sadly. “I was there today, I know how bad it was, but I’m with Virgil, I have to stick around.”

Scott nodded. “Then I guess we’ll see you around.” 

John and Scott took one last look at the family they were voluntarily walking away from. Selene knew that it was likely the hardest thing they had ever done and it just made her admire them more than ever. She knew that it wasn't a decision any of them had made lightly, it wasn't on a whim and it should have given Jeff the wake up call he so badly needed. Instead he was blind to it. Now she knew exactly where that stubborn Tracy gene came from. 

“Come on, let’s go,” John tugged on her hand as Scott moved towards the door.

“Don’t think you’re taking any of those crafts with you,” Jeff called after them.

That was apparently the last straw.

“Wait for me!”

“Alan? Where are you going?” Jeff snapped.

“With Scott.”

***

“Alan, you didn’t have to come,” John sighed. He had absolutely no idea how the day had ended up like this. Sure it had been bad, and he was still so angry at Scott that he could barely look at him, but it hasn't been fair that his brother, probably the most dedicated of all of them to International Rescue, felt like he had been pushed so far that he had no other choice. Scott had been screaming out for their dad to listen to him, to back down for once in his life and listen to someone other than the voice of his own ego.  
He was sure that Scott had meant every word he said, but he doubted very much that it was what he truly wanted.

“I did,” Alan said quietly. “I love Dad, but he was wrong. It’s not been him that’s kept us going the past eight years, it’s us. And you two know better than any of us how to get things done.”

“At least someone has confidence in us,” Scott muttered, his fingers tightening on the wheel of Selene’s car.

“I’ve always had confidence in you,” Alan admitted. “You guys are my heroes. There was never a question of where my loyalties lie. Dad hasn't been a part of my life in so long, but you two have. I’ll trust your judgement over Dad’s every time.” 

“Thanks, kiddo,” Scott said, his voice sounding a little choked up, his eyes not leaving the sky in front of them.

“It’s just the truth,” Alan shrugged, not one for mushy stuff.

They were quiet for a few minutes as the car ate up the miles towards London, taking them further and further from Tracy Island and the rest of their family. Selene snuggled closer to John, offering him comfort if he needed it. It wouldn't be easy for them, not knowing what was going to happen, or when they would be able to return to what they loved.

“How long do you think we’ll be away?” Alan asked hesitantly, obviously thinking along the same lines as Selene.

“I don’t know, Allie, I wish I did,” John answered him and with nothing more to say they lapsed into silence. 

It felt wrong to have left, even though they knew it was for the right reasons, it felt like they were missing a limb, separated from half their team. 

"I appreciate your support more than you know," Scott said, breaking the quiet atmosphere of the car. "Thanks for having my back, especially after earlier, it means a lot."

"You mean after you shoved Selene so hard she fell over and could have been seriously hurt?" John snapped, ignoring the way Selene glared at him. "I haven't forgotten that, I'm still pissed off, you were a dick-"

"John!" she butted in. 

"But I also know that you wouldn't have done that if the situation had been different, we were all under a lot of unnecessary pressure, you just handled it in the worst possible way and Selene got the brunt of it. So yes, I'm angry and it's going to take some time for me to get over that, but I'm not an idiot and I could see what you were doing. You're my brother and I will always support you if I think you're in the right, nothing would change that."

Selene leant forward, reaching around the seat to wrap her arms around Scott, who let her hug him for the first time since the rescue. 

"I'm sorry,” he whispered, resting his head against hers where her chin rested on his shoulder. “I never meant for you to get hurt.”

“I know, and I didn’t.”

“The bruises on your chest and backside beg to differ,” John muttered but she ignored him.

“I thought you said you weren’t hurt!” Scott accused. 

“I wasn’t, bruises are par for the course of being with you guys, you all come home covered every day.”

“Don’t dismiss it like that, that's not the point,” Scott begged. “I was wrong, I let my feelings and frustrations get the better of me and you suffered for that-”

“I said it’s OK!”

“No, it’s not,” he insisted. “You understand, you knew what we were dealing with out there. But what if you hadn’t stopped me and I had hit that guy today? The press were there, it would have damaged our reputation worse than it already has, and that would have been my fault. And what if it happened again? Dad would never have changed or backed off, he'd have gotten worse. I couldn't risk it, I couldn't trust my own judgement or my control. I had to make a decision that would protect everyone as well as International Rescue, I just didn't expect you all to follow me like lemmings.”

“Didn’t you just say you appreciated it?” John snorted.

“That’s beside the point, I didn’t want to leave, I just felt like I had no choice. I wasn’t trying to start a revolution.”

“And yet, here we are,” John sighed. “It wasn’t your fault, I just wish that Dad would have actually given us a chance to speak and explain.”

“He never has though, has he?” Scott muttered, his eyes on the sky. "Sel, can you forgive me?" 

"Sweetheart, there's nothing for me to forgive."

He took one hand off the wheel to catch her hand in his, bringing it to his lips to kiss her knuckles. 

"Thank you."

"Do one thing for me though?" 

"Anything."

"Go easy on yourself, OK? This wasn't your fault."

It took him a second to squeeze her hand in acknowledgement. 

Alan had been quiet throughout the whole exchange and she made a mental note to check in on him after they had some rest, he’d need them too. His whole world had just turned upside down again. She ruffled his hair affectionately as she moved back to her seat, cuddling up to a still scowling John. 

John wrapped his arm around her, hugging her tight to his side. It would take him a while to forgive his brother, that was for sure. His heart had been in his throat as he saw his brother's hand slam into her chest and send her flying backwards. 

He'd seen red, something that rarely ever happened, but the thought of her getting hurt had triggered something inside him he hadn't been able to contain. He'd never spoken to his brothers like that before, never laid a hand on them, but if Selene hadn't stopped him he would certainly have punched Scott into next week. 

His woman was far too forgiving, but that was part of why he loved her. And she was right, he knew that Scott hadn't meant to explode like that, the fact that he was prepared to walk away from International Rescue because of it was a testament to that. 

It was a subdued party that arrived at Selene and John’s apartment and no one felt much like talking.

“Are you guys hungry?” Selene asked, her need to look after them rearing its head.

“I could eat,” Alan shrugged.

“Scott, you and Allie head up, we’re going to grab some food, I know a late night pizza place just down the road.”

“Sure, John, what’s your entry code?”

“Entry code,” she snorted. “It’s your brother you’re asking, he upgraded the keypad within a week of knowing me, ours is the only apartment with a biometric scanner, it’s programmed to our DNA, it’ll let you in.”

Selene and John left them to it and headed off on their own, they needed a little time together. Scott was to take the bed in her work room and Alan the pull out in the couch. It would be a squash, but they had a point to make and none of them wanted to back down. She just hoped that it wouldn’t be too long before Jeff came to his senses.

***

Jeff slumped in his desk chair, not really seeing the paperwork in front of him. He’d gone to bed after ushering away Gordon and Virgil, but hadn’t been able to sleep. He’d given up after an hour of tossing and turning and decided to get some work done. But concentrating on anything other than the situations with his sons proved to be impossible.

He just didn't understand what had come over them or why they were acting in such a manner. It wasn't like them to be so selfish and irresponsible, to put their own egos above the people that needed help. People depended on them to be there when they needed them, they didn't need their lives risking because of internal politics. He sighed deeply, suddenly feeling much older than he was. 

How could they not see that he was simply trying to do his best for them? That he was trying to help them and take some of the strain off them after so many years of coping on their own? He hadn’t been there when they needed him before, but he was going to make damn sure that he was from now on. 

It was a father’s job to guide his sons, to make sure they were on the right path, doing the right thing and to keep them safe. That was all he was doing, making up for lost time and giving them the benefit of his years of wisdom and experience. But were they grateful for it? No. God save him from headstrong children. He'd give them a few days and let them come to their senses, then they’d come crawling back with their tails between their legs.

“What’s all this I hear about Scott, John and Alan resigning?” Grandma’s pissed off voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

“Oh, hello, Mother, I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there.”

“I didn’t want you to, I wanted to see just what you were doing to get those boys home, but now I see I was a little too optimistic.”

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”

“Did you even try to stop them?”

“Of course I did! I told them to stop being so ridiculous and to go to bed.”

Sally gaped at him like she’d never seen him before.

“What?

“You sent them to bed? Like naughty children?”

“That’s how they were acting, Mother, I simply told them they should take the night to think.”

“Did you not listen to a word they said? Did you not think to ask them why they were doing something so drastic?”

Jeff snorted, waving her concerns aside. “They had a bad day, things didn't go according to plan and they were acting out, a crisis of confidence, that's all.”

“And I wonder who instilled that lack of confidence in them?”

“They did it to themselves, they let their tempers get the better of them and it affected their judgement. Rather than listening and following instructions they thought they knew better.”

“And I know exactly where they get that from, as well as their stubbornness.”

“Don’t worry yourself about it, they’ll sleep on it and realise they were in the wrong and come home ready to apologise.”

“And if they don't?”

“They will, I’m sure of it.”

“I wouldn't be too sure of that, personally I don’t think they are the ones that need to appologise.”

“Well I do, and this is my base and my organisation, they need to respect that.”

“Respect is earned, son, not demanded. You might want to remember that, along with the fact that they are your sons and that means they are just as stubborn as you are. Don’t let this turn into something that can’t be repaired just because you aren't willing to back down and listen to them. Don’t think for one second that I won’t hesitate to give you a swift kick up the rear if it’s needed.”

“I can assure you, it won’t be.”

“If you say so,” Sally turned on her heel and left the lounge, absolutely fuming. She couldn't remember a time she had been so annoyed with any of her boys. She understood where they were coming from. Gordon had explained what had happened out there and she didn't blame the boys for it one bit.

Maybe she had been too soft on Jeff? But it was hard not to be, she’d been without him for so long, had spent so many nights wishing that he was here with them, wishing she could hug him just one last time. She had promised herself that, if a miracle ever happened and she did get more time with her son, she wouldn't waste it. Now she could barely stand to look at him. 

She understood that he’d been through a lot and that adjusting to home and a new regime had been difficult for him. She’d actually been happy when he had started to take an active role in the organization again, it showed that he was truly on the mend. She just hadn’t expected him to take over so completely as to sideline his own sons. She had stayed in the background, letting them deal with it like adults, but she was lying to herself. The real reason was that she was a mother and no matter how old your children were, you never stopped trying to protect them, to encourage them and you never stopped wanting them to be OK. She'd seen life come back to her son’s eyes the more capable he had become, the more involved and she hadn't wanted to step in and be the reason that that light dimmed again. Not until she had to.

Her heart hurt for her grandsons, the unbreakable team now torn apart. Scott, she knew, would be feeling the worst of the guilt, not only for what had happened on the rescue with Selene but for leaving, abandoning his responsibilities and his brothers. It wouldn't have been a decision he made lightly, no matter what Jeff might think.

Well, she had meant what she said, she wasn't prepared to let this madness go on too much longer. If her son didn't get his head out of his ass and the boys didn't patch things up she’d have to take matters into her own hands.

Jeff, alone once again, did not allow himself to dwell too much on his mother’s words. He knew she was just looking out for them all, but she had always been one to coddle the boys and make excuses for their behaviour, it had always been down to him to enforce the discipline when they had been younger and it looked like nothing had changed.

It was his job to look after them, his job to make sure that they were doing their job to the best of their ability and that was exactly what he would continue to do.

Then why don’t you feel good about that? A little inner voice piped up. He ruthlessly pushed it aside, he’d dealt with insecurities and nagging self doubt before and he’d never let it control him. Makeup your mind and stick with it, that had always been his method of operation and it had served him well. It had been the only thing that had kept him going through the long weeks, months and then years that he had sat out in space, determined to survive, clinging to the belief that one day his sons would find him. He’d trusted them, he’d believe in them and now he was repaying that trust by helping them any way he could.

He could still recall how he had felt when he had seen Scott clearly for the first time, dangling from a cliff on the godforsaken space rock he had called home for eight long years. It had been the same joy, the same sense of wonder that he had experienced the first time he had held his precious son in his arms, not even an hour old, those blue eyes looking up at him, the gaze possessing a laser like focus even then.

He’s known instantly that he adored him, that he would do anything for him. He’d never felt such a rush of love as he had at that moment, instant, all consuming, impossible to ignore. When Lucille had announced her next pregnancy he’d secretly worried that he’d never be able to love another child as much as he did Scott, that none would compare to the perfection that was his first born, that he couldn't be lucky enough to feel that instant bond of love with another. But he had. Five times over. Each son was perfect and special in their own way, each different, each wedging themselves deep into his heart and soul. 

Virgil had been so different to Scott, placid and happy to amuse himself, making something out of nothing, his imagination unmatched. It made complete sense that he had gone on to become an engineer, able to create the most beautiful art and music.

John had been different again, more self contained, quieter, seeming content to sit and observe the world without feeling the need to be a part of it. He did not demand attention, hardly ever cried. He had stared up at Jeff with such a serious expression in those startling eyes of his that seemed to hold a wisdom and understanding that far exceeded his years. He was the son that would sit on his knee and demand to know all about the stars, fascinated with the universe above them.

Gordon had been their trouble maker from day one. A cheeky, loud, obnoxious child with a sunny disposition that ensured he got away with far more than he should have. He had been a joy from the second he had barreled into the world, his labour the shortest of them all, ten days late but once he got going nothing had stopped him. He had forged his own path, much as he had all his life, moving away from the love of the sky his brothers had and focusing on the depths below.

Alan, the baby of the family and his last precious gift from his wife, had taken them all by surprise, first his conception and then his birth, coming a month early but healthy enough if not a little small. Alan had been a mixture of all his brothers, the smiles of Gordon, the bravery and recklessness of Scott, the sensitivity and caring of Virgil and the love of the stars from John.

Losing his wife and being faced with the task of raising five sons alone had been the most daunting task of his life, he’d promised them that he’d always be there. And then he’d abandoned them when they had needed him most, even if it hadn't been by choice. Now he had that choice, he had the ability to help them, to guide them as his father had done for him. They would rebel, of course they would, because they had been on their own for so long, but that didn't mean thay their reckless ways and their habit of throwing themselves into danger should be allowed to continue. He wouldn't risk them, no matter how much they might hate him. It was called tough love for a reason, it would never be pleasant, but it had to be done.

A noise made him look up, had they turned that ridiculous car around already? 

“Merp!”

Armstrong strolled in like he owned the place which, seeing as he was a cat, he likely thought he did, and fixed him with a steely look.

Jeff patted his lap. He could do with a little affection right about now. But the cat stayed put, staring at him with unblinking eyes.

“What, so you’re going to judge me too, huh?”

The cat flicked his ears, turned tail and slinked away.


	48. Home from Home

Selene wasn't used to creeping around her own home, yet here she was, tip-toeing past Alan who was laying face down on her living room rug, the bed she had made up for him on the couch didn't even look like it had been used.

She stepped over his leg and went to the kitchen to make a start on some coffee. A quick check of the fridge and cupboards confirmed exactly what she had already known, there was nothing in there and the food fairy had yet to magically deliver.

She hadn't been planning on coming back to the flat anytime soon and wasn't in the habit of keeping food in just to let it spoil. She had nothing to feed the hungry boys that were currently living with her, she’d have to go shopping.

She poured coffee into a to-go cup for herself, doctoring it with coffee creamer and sugar as she always did, thankfully things that could live in the cupboard, and delivered a cup each to John and Scott, leaving them on the bedside tables for when they woke up.

John stirred as she placed the cup down.

“Hey, gorgeous,” she whispered, dipping her head to give him a quick kiss. “I’m just going out to grab some things for breakfast, go back to sleep, you need to catch up on your rest.”

He nodded and mumbled something about remembering to switch the gravity off when she got back and settled back into sleep, his soft snores beginning almost immediately. She brushed the hair back from his face and pulled the covers up so he wouldn't get cold, her boy was used to a temperature controlled Five or a tropical island, England was always a bit hit or miss for him.

She stopped to cover Alan over too and tucking a cushion under his head, then grabbed her bag and left the flat.

By the time she struggled home two hours later, weighed down by shopping bags the boys were all awake.

“No, it’s fine, I don’t need any help,” she called sarcastically as she struggled to place her hand against the scanner and then shoved the door open with her backside. “I’m Superwoman, I’ve got this shit.”

“Sorry,” John appeared beside her, taking the heaviest of the bags. She lifted her head for a kiss, something they would usually do automatically but he was already gone, taking the bags to the kitchen and leaving them on the floor to return to the lounge. Selene blinked, that wasn't normal.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, dumping her own bags and following him.

All three were squashed together on the couch, crowded around the holoscreen where a news report was playing.

“They’re out on a rescue,” Scott told her, his tone sounding equal parts defeated, resigned and disbelieving.

“We couldn’t expect them not to answer a call,” John sighed, although his tone said that he was anything but happy.

“What’s happened?” Selene asked, perching on the arm of the sofa beside John.

“Road collapse in Cornwall,” Scott answered. 

“From what the reporters have said it looks like it’s a sinkhole. There are a lot of old tin mines in that area and it’s close to the coastline, so the old mines tend to flood which further weakens the already crumbling foundations,” John continued.

“The road just opened beneath us,” a scared looking woman was telling the reporter. “It was like looking into hell. We were on that bus you see, and managed to climb out of the back window before it was sucked in.”

On screen the sleek silver underbelly of Thunderbird One lowered into shot. 

"And here come the Thunderbirds, right on time to help as only they can.” The camera panned up to show the underside of One with the big feet of her pilot clearly visible through the glass bottom of her cockpit. “We’re expecting Scott Tracy to touch down any second now to liaise with the emergency services already here.”

Selene saw Scott tense, knowing as well as he did that they wouldn't be talking to the eldest Tracy any time soon.

“Here she comes, back up everyone, back up!” The reporter continued as he backed away with the camera crew, who panned out for a wider shot.

The hovering jets kicked up dust and rubble as the landing legs lowered from her undercarriage. She touched down, not as gently as she normally would, Selene noticed, and her engines cut out a little abruptly, but she was down. The glass bottom of the cockpit opened and the pilot's chair extended from the cabin of the plane.

“And here comes...Jeff Tracy?” the reporter's voice rose in shock and awe. 

Scott’s sharp intake of breath was as audible as the reporter’s, his fingers tightening on the arm of the couch.

“Scott?” Alan’s soft tone was so unlike his usual bouncing voice it was scary. 

“I’m OK, Allie.” 

“We don’t have to watch this…” Selene started to say, but knew she was wasting her time, they would watch, there was no way they couldn’t.

On screen Jeff could be seen talking to a number of fire officers in the distance.

“We have been given word that Thunderbird Two should be arriving any minute, bringing with it the organisation’s life saving equipment.” The reporter continued to repeat the same details over and over, recapping for anyone that had just tuned in as they waited for Virgil and the big green machine to arrive. “We’ve heard from our sources that…”

“John?” EOS’s voice rang out clearly from her portable drive on the coffee table and Selene stretched out to grab it, handing it to him.

“Yes, EOS?”

“You promised me you would contact me today to explain why you will not be here, yet you have not. I have done as you told me and I am relaying all calls to the control center at the Villa, but I still do not understand.”

John sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. It was strange to see him this way, talking to EOS, the round lights of her drive flickering in time to her words, her voice coming from his bare hand. Selene was so used to seeing his hands with his gloves on, so used to feeling the brush of their soft material against her skin that she hardly noticed them any more. He was wearing casual civvies, they all were and they looked tired, emotionally wrung out.

“EOS, now really isn’t the best time to talk about this,” he started.

“Why not? The rescue is underway and I am capable of focusing on multiple tasks at once, this will not tax my systems.”

“I know that, but we’re watching the rescue right now.”

“I can tell you what is happening, that way you will not have to watch.” A holographic image popped out of the drive.

“No, EOS, we don’t want to see that.”

“I am confused, you cannot be there, so you wish to watch. I have offered you a more informative way to watch, but you do not want it.”

“EOS…”

“Let me talk to her,” Selene offered, holding out her hand for the drive. John gratefully handed it over.

She got up and took herself off into the bedroom, shutting the door.

“EOS, are you still there?”

“Where else would I be? I do not have a body and you have hold of my portable drive.”

“Yeah, stupid question, sorry.” Selene sank down on the bed and prepared to do verbal and mental battle with the world’s most intelligent AI.

“EOS, do you remember when we spoke about feelings and how sometimes they make us do things that aren't entirely logical?”

“Yes.”

“That’s what happened here. Feelings got hurt, people got frustrated, and the only solution was to take a time out. We had to step back from the situation and put some distance between us and the problems. We did this the only way we knew how, by taking a break from International Rescue.” 

“Then why are they watching?”

Selene sighed, struggling to find the words that would actually make sense to the very literal AI that she was talking to.

“It’s hard to explain, but just because you are angry, it doesn’t mean you stop caring and you don’t want someone you love getting hurt. They need to watch, they need to know what is going on.”

“Then why would they not make use of my systems?”

“Because they don’t want that level of knowledge.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Neither do they, baby girl and I don't think I can find the words to explain it to you." She sighed, knowing she had to at least try."That’s the thing with feelings, sometimes they can’t be understood, they can't be explained, you just have to respect them.”

“You mean that, even though I do not understand, I still have to listen and do as I’m told?”

“That’s a simplified way of putting it, but yes.”

“And what does John require of me?”

“Just for you to do your best to help the others where you can. To help the rescue run smoothly as best it can.”

“I can do that, I’ll find the best way to be useful.”

“Thank you, EOS, I’ll get John to talk to you after the rescue is finished, OK?”

“I understand.”

“Good girl.”

Selene sighed as EOS cut the connection. She just hoped that she’d said enough. She handed John back the drive and took her seat on the arm of the couch, making a mental note that if they continued to stay there for much longer she’d need to invest in another couch, there just wasn't room for four of them on it.

“Did she listen?” 

Selene nodded. “As best she can. I think she understood, but it’s such a hard situation to explain.” 

“At least you tried, thanks for that, I wasn’t really up to it.”

Selene nodded to the TV. “So, what did I miss?” She could see that Two had arrived and had settled near One. From what she could tell the emergency services had shut the road and stopped any more cars from entering and those that were there had been pushed back or removed as best they could, giving them as clear a working space as possible but the bigger Thunderbird had still had to land in a field next to the road.

“Virgil dropped Gordon off in Four before landing, the old mine shafts have completely flooded and there are people trapped in their cars down there,” Alan answered.

“What are the others doing?” 

“Nothing yet, Dad has been talking to the emergency services for the past fifteen minutes and Virgil, well he hasn’t even moved from Two,” John continued.

They watched in silence for another five minutes as the news reporter continued to drone on about the history of the area and just how and when the accident had occurred. 

Movement in the background caught their eye as Virgil emerged from Two’s pod wearing his Exo-suit.

“It looks like Virgil is going in from the top with breathing equipment so Gordon is likely going in from the coast. I’d assume he plans to travel up the shafts as far as possible in the sub and then go EVA the rest of the way,” Scott said, almost as if he were talking to himself.

“Is that the best way?” Selene asked quietly. “What if more subsidence happens while Four is down there?” 

Scott shrugged, trying for an unconcerned tone, but failing. “Not our problem, is it?”

Selene frowned, she knew he didn’t mean what he said, but it was still hard to hear. No matter how unconcerned he appeared she knew he was hating every second of it, hating not being there in case anything happened to his family.

***

John was used to being the one watching the action from the heavens, he was used to having to tamp down the worry and fear that were his near constant companions every single time he sent his brothers out to yet another call. It was their job after all and they did it well, they knew the risks and he calculated them for them.

He was the one that orchestrated the rescues, it was his decision which calls were worthy of their time or could be passed on to local authorities to deal with. He was the one that had to weigh up the pros and cons of accepting a call and it was his job to capture and correlate all the relevant information to build them the clearest picture of the entire situation. If they took the wrong equipment or made a bad call on how to proceed due to lack of information it could not only cost them valuable time but possibly lives as well, theirs or those they were trying to help.

For ten years International Rescue had had one goal, to save lives and they had done that to the best of their ability every single day. Not only had they put their lives at risk but they had also put them on hold. Alan wasn’t a normal teenager by any stretch of the imagination, he had already seen more in his short life than most men of eighty and none of them had much time to cultivate relationships or even friendships outside of the family. He was the rare exception and he firmly believed that that was all down to Selene and her willingness to understand and to take on his entire family as well as himself. There weren't many people who would put up with cancelled plans, long stretches of time apart and invasions of privacy the way she had, not and still stay as cheerful and loving. 

As a team they had worked tirelessly with Brains to improve their equipment and were developing new machinery all the time, anything that might allow them to save just one more life. They knew they couldn't save everyone, but they would give it a damn good try. When their father had disappeared and feared dead, they had all been devastated and that had been the moment they had changed the rules of International Rescue, no longer would they value others lives over their own. They had been through the pain of losing a parent, twice over, and knew that they couldn't cope with losing anyone else. They had pulled together after their father’s accident but it hasn't been easy. They would do everything in their power to help someone but they had to know when to pull out. It wasn't a case of thinking that their lives were worth more than anyone else's, they didn't think they were special they just knew that some people were beyond help and if they had continued to throw themselves recklessly into danger to save just one person, there would soon be none of them left to help those that came after. The rescue calls never ended, there would always be people that needed saving for that was how the world worked. 

That was the part that had bothered John the most in the whole situation, their father had lost his dad and the love of his life, he had to know what they had been through, how much it hurt to lose someone you loved so much, yet he seemed willing to throw his own sons into danger that could be avoided just by listening to them. They had superior knowledge of the equipment, they had more rescue experience, but their father seemed blind to anything but his own opinions and dusty memories of another time in his life. 

John didn’t necessarily agree with the way Scott had gone about dealing with the situation but he had seen the sense in backing him up in it. Their father was a stubborn man and prone to only seeing one side of the story. They all understood that they had been vastly different people the last time their father had seen them, they had all grown into their roles in International Rescue, changing from inexperienced young men to more than capable adults that knew their jobs and did them well. He was still treating them like children. 

To be sitting in a small flat in Camden, in the same country as the rescue that was happening and not be a part of it, even in his usual limited way, was one of the hardest things he’d ever had to do. He was the one that anticipated the problems, his quick mind rolling through a dozen possible scenarios in order to better know how to advise and help his brothers. They were used to asking for something from him and finding that he had already realised they would need it and had it cued up ready. Information flowed from his fingertips, carefully collated for ease of access. He was the eye in the sky, their hub of information and help, he saw everything, he knew everything. He oversaw every rescue and he did it so well through years of experience, just as Scott, Virgil, Gordon and Alan did. Now he was out of the loop, watching but not truly seeing, an outsider, a bystander, knowing nothing about the rescue itself. And he hated it. 

His mind was screaming at him to take EOS up on her offer, to pick up her drive and patch in, to watch everything that was going on just so he would know. But he wouldn’t, because that would make it harder. They couldn't back down. They wouldn’t back down. To do so now would be to undermine themselves and to devalue the point they were trying to make. They had to sit this one out no matter how hard it was.

John glanced at Scott, seeing the tense set to his shoulders, the hard line of his jaw, the way his eyes remained fixed, almost unblinkingly, on the news report.

***

Scott noticed when Selene left the room with EOS’s drive and when she returned only to vanish again a few minutes later but he didn’t know or particularly care what she was doing. All he could focus on were the scenes playing out in front of him. Was that how everyone felt? Watching the action but not being a part of it? Did they feel useless, pushed aside, anxious and unable to help? No, he decided, they didn’t. They wouldn’t because the general public had no idea what went into executing a rescue, they would never fully comprehend the danger that he and his brothers put themselves in every single day.

He wanted to be there with Virgil and Gordon, his need to protect them went bone deep, as much a part of him as his love of flying. He was their big brother and he couldn't help but feel like he’d abandoned them.

He hadn’t realised until that moment just how hard it would be to not be involved, to not be in the center of things and to have to sit back and watch. Scott did not sit and watch, he never had, it just wasn't in his nature. Scott at heart was a doer and it was taking every ounce of self control he had not to jump up, borrow Selene’s car and head straight there.

He’d never felt so limited in his life, he was used to having everything at his fingertips. He was always in constant contact with his brothers, a never ending stream of noise pouring into his helmet from his comm, telling him where they were, what they were doing and what was going on. In contrast the little flat was silent, no buzz of background noise from his team, no gentle ribbing of brotherly banter, no soft, calm voice of John filling in the blanks and no chance to help if anything went wrong.

All three of them watched as their brothers and their father did their best to help as many of the trapped people as possible but Scott could tell it was hopeless. Virgil had apparently been ordered to give up on trying to reach them from the pit and had returned to Two, using the mighty machines' electromagnetic cables to haul cars out of the hole one at a time. 

Over and over again he lifted out the crushed metal boxes and set them gently aside. Paramedics rushed over, along with fire crews who used large metal cutters to shear away the roofs, peeling the tops back like sardine cans, but each mangled body they extracted went straight into one of the black body bags that were waiting. 

The camera panned the scene near constantly, at one time zeroing in on the tense face of Virgil, his eyes showing the strain of the situation and the things he had witnessed in that chasm. But no matter how soul destroyed he looked he was soon back in the cockpit and hovering skillfully over the sinkhole, his cables lowering in preparation.

Scott leant forward, as if that would make a difference to what he was seeing, like he could physically turn the screen for a better angle. His fists were clenched on his knees, anxiety tensing the muscles of his back and shoulders. He could feel that something was off…

They all heard the rumbling noise coming through from the television a moment before the ground beneath Thunderbird Two gave way, taking an ambulance with it.

“We don’t know what just happened,” the reporter said, speaking directly to the camera, “but it seems that International Rescue weren't anticipating it.”

“Of course they weren’t,” Scott heard John growl through gritted teeth. “I wasn’t there to watch out for the land subsidence or pressure points. EOS either didn’t think to monitor for it as that’s not part of her job, or they never even asked her.”

“You mean Dad never asked her,” Alan muttered, his face showing his distress.

“Now is not the time for speculation but we’ve been informed by a reliable source that International Rescue may be experiencing some staffing problems, their usual method of operating seeming to have changed. One can’t help but wonder if they are up for the task after their last rescue at the Clifton Mall in San Diego, where footage emerged of two of the Tracys appearing to be fighting amongst themselves, notably two of the brothers who are not here today.”

“I’m never there,” John argued.

“Do we know if Gordon is still down there?” Selene asked, breaking into their conversation and bringing them all up short, they had been so focused on the things they could see they had almost forgotten about the parts of the rescue they couldn’t.

“Shit!”

***

Virgil stripped off his uniform, letting it drop to the floor with a heavy thump, grateful to be out of the grubby, smelly material and even more grateful to be away from the watchful eye of the world's media.

He reached in to turn on the shower and made use of the toilet as he waited for the water to warm up. He liked his showers hot, scorch the skin off his shoulders hot, especially on a day like this. There were always going to be rescues that didn't go according to plan, there were always going to be times when they couldn't save everyone, they all knew this, they all lived with that knowledge every single time they went out. Unfortunately it seemed like those bad rescues were now outweighing the good ones, especially if the last four were anything to go by and he didn't know how many more he could take. 

What made it worse was that he knew some of the deaths that had happened today might have been preventable if they had gotten to work quicker and had more information of the surrounding area. They had pretty much gone in blind. 

Gordon had suggested to their father that he contact EOS and Grandma back on the island and use the digital imaging that they had on Five, to check out the area all around the disaster zone before they went in, but Jeff had disagreed. He, of the old school persuasion, had listened only to the emergency services. 

Whereas before they might have sent in a drone, none of them knew how to properly work them, that was Scott’s domain. Where John would have taken it upon himself to find the old mine charts of the area, to compare them to the newly built roads and to monitor for subsidence, they had been left with nothing. 

Jeff refused to trust EOS without John there to wrangle her, not that she needed it, and so he had ignored their suggestions to call on her for guidance.

They knew the old mines had flooded and that it had likely come from the sea, so Virgil had dropped Gordon in Thunderbird Four just off the coast and left him to navigate his way blindly through the tunnel system that had been naturally carved out by hundreds of years of sea water pounding at the rocks. Normally John would have been there to map out the tunnels, to plot his course and monitor him the entire time to make sure that he was aware of any danger that might be waiting up ahead. This time Gordon had been on his own.

Gordon had made good progress. For all his cheerful, fun loving, carefree attitude he was always the professional when it came to rescues, keeping an enviably clear head and doing whatever was needed in the safest way possible. Virgil had sat in the cockpit of Two where Jeff had told him to wait for further instructions, itching to get involved, desperate to get started. With every minute that ticked down he couldn't help but think about the number of people that might be still alive, trapped down that hole, desperately clinging to the hope that someone one would come for them. He couldn’t imagine the fear that they must be feeling, the pain they could be in and here he was sitting idly by, not doing a thing to help them.

Virgil stepped under the scalding spray, wincing as the water practically sizzled against his skin but the warmth felt good sinking into his tired muscles. He’d seen too many dead today, he needed the bite of pain to remind himself that he had been lucky enough to get out of there where they hadn't. Gordon, he knew, would be doing exactly the same thing.

They had liaised as best they could between themselves, making use of their superior comm lines, something that the emergency services did not have. Their father had issued instructions, organising the rescue from his vantage point above ground, but his instincts were rusty, his judgement clouded and he was too weak still to get involved with any of the actual rescuing. This had left the grunt work to Virgil and Gordon. 

God, he missed Scott. 

He ducked his head under the spray, wetting his hair and vigorously rubbing in some shampoo, needing to wash out the stiff mixture of sweat, dirt and hair gel.

Scott would have been right down in there with them, another set of hands, another person to rely on. Scott would never have made him sit out and wait, he would have trusted him to assess the situation and call it, making his own choice as to how he wanted to proceed. They were a team, just as much as he and Gordon were, working together seamlessly through years of practice. Scott never talked down to him, he never ordered him around unless it was absolutely necessary, Scott never treated him like he was staff.

He rinsed his hair and reached for his favorite shower gel, the one that smelt like eucalyptus and mint, cool, invigorating, the only thing that could wake him in the morning. He paused, reconsidering. He didn’t want to be awake right now, he wanted to sleep, to forget about the shit show that their lives had become. He bypassed that bottle and selected the herbal wash that Selene had made for him, the one that smelt of rosemary and camomile, soothing but still slightly spicy in its aroma. Thinking of Selene brought his mind back to John.

God, he missed John. If his brother had been there, doing his job as effortlessly as he always did then things might have gone differently. His brother would have been tracking Gordon, he would have told him that the tunnel was too tight, he would have been monitoring the structural integrity of the road above, the force that Two’s hovering jets were having on the ground, he would have noticed and he would have warned them before the road had collapsed further.

Gordon had been EVA at the time, right under the road as it collapsed, trying to extract a man trapped inside his car. Gordon had survived relatively unscathed, managing to scootch himself back into the tunnel at the last minute, suffering only a severely bruised shoulder from the falling debris. The man hadn’t made it. Gordon had tried to go back for him, but had been forced to give up and retreat, the entire section having caved in to such an extent that he couldn’t force his way back through.

After that it had been a recovery mission instead of a rescue. 

Virgil knew exactly what they would have done differently and he was quite sure that they would have been able to save many more people. No they weren’t responsible for the accident, but some deaths had been preventable. If they had had a full crew, if Scott had been there, if John had been monitoring and advising, if Alan had been there to handle Two while Virgil had gone down into the pit, they would have saved any number of people. As it was, not only had the people that were trapped lost their lives, but a paramedic had too.

God, he missed Alan. He missed his family and it had only been a day.

He finished lathering up his body, wincing now and then as his fingers caught bruises and cuts and stepped back under the spray, hissing as the hot water pummelled his skin, the stinging pain bringing everything into sharper focus. 

They had been apart before, of course they had, either for university, time in the air force or WASP, time in Five, time in Four or the odd vacation, but they had always parted on good terms. They had never had this amount of bad feeling between them.

No, he corrected himself, there wasn’t bad feeling between himself, Gordon and their brothers, he agreed with them, he understood their point. He didn’t blame them for feeling how they had. Virgil had now experienced it first hand, had his suggestions and opinions brushed aside and ignored. He’d felt that frustration. He understood. 

He wished they would come home, but he knew it wouldn’t be happening any time soon. If there was one thing that Tracys were, it was stubborn and their father was the most stubborn of all. He’d had to be to survive so long alone in deep space.

Virgil turned off the water and stepped out, grabbing a towel.

They had all had such high expectations of what life would be like once their father came home, yet now...Virgil forcefully derailed that train of thought before he allowed himself to finish forming the words in his head. He would never, could never, admit, even to himself, that life had been easier without their father there. It just wasn't an option.

Tossing the towel into the laundry hamper he collapsed face down on the bed. Sleep, sleep was what he needed, to sleep and hopefully not dream.

***

Jeff reached for his coffee cup, taking a sip, making a face when he realised how cold it was. He was bone tired, mentally and physically exhausted yet he knew there was no point in him going to bed, he wouldn’t sleep even if he wanted to.

He slowly typed out a few more words but his heart and his mind wasn’t in it. He had been the one to insist on written reports after every rescue, they needed them, they could learn from them. 

Virgil and Gordon had already completed their own and handed them in. they contained the bare minimum of details and had obviously both been compiled by Gordon, likely on the journey back to the island from Cornwall. 

He sighed, dropping his head into his hands. He’d have to be blind not to see that his organisation was in trouble and that his family were the cause of it. He’d thought that one of them would have called in by now, that they would have cooled off over night and had a change of heart. But it hadn’t happened. 

When they had received the distress call he had thought they would have joined them on the rescue, but that hadn’t happened either. It looked like he’d be waiting a while longer.

The sound of a throat clearing made him jump, his head snapping up to meet the eyes of the person who had distrubed him.

“I think we need to talk,” his visitor announced. “Don’t you?”


	49. Home truths.

“I think we need to talk, don't you?” The visitor grinned at the look of shock on his oldest friends face as he let himself into the lounge. Well he had better buckle up, because no one could lay down the law like a Taylor.

To say that he’d been surprised to receive a call from Sally Tracy requesting his presence was an understatement, but after eight years of thinking his friend was dead he was more than happy to drop everything at a moment's notice to spend more time with him. He’d been conscious of the fact that it was more important for Jeff’s sons and family to see him than it was for him so after their initial, and very emotional, reunion, he’d stepped back and waited to be invited, not wanting to step on any toes. He’d thought it important for Jeff to find his place within the family again but from what Mrs Tracy had said on the phone Jeff had been trying a bit too hard. He hadn’t found his place, he’d stolen one.

“Lee Taylor,” Jeff smiled, pushing his chair back from his desk and getting to his feet. “Great to see you, though it’s a little late for a social call.”

“Late schmate, late is the perfect time when whisky is involved,” Lee held up the bottle he’d brought with him as evidence of his claim.

Jeff groaned goodnaturedly, but still opened his desk drawer to take out two glass tumblers, sliding one across the desk in invitation. “Then fill em up.”

The first gulp went down a little roughly, causing Jeff to wheeze. It had been a long time since he’d drunk neat liquor like that, but the second was smoother and he was able to take his time and appreciate the smokey, woodsy taste of the aged malt.

By the end of the first glass they were both deep into the reminiscing and laughing at the memories of their youthful exploits.

“So,” Jeff began. “I heard that you’ve been keeping yourself busy since your retirement.”

“Indeed I have, you know me, I don’t like to sit on the sidelines, I like to be where the action is.”

“I hear that, I’ve been trying to get back in on the action myself, but do you find that you still miss the old days?” 

“Yeah, I do, but you know something, these new days, they aint so bad. You gotta move with the times or get lost in the past.”

“The past doesn’t sound too bad to me,” Jeff mused, running the tip of one finger around his glass.

“If it wasn’t for your boys I’d be dead because I was clinging to the past,” Lee reminded him.

“I highly doubt that,” Jeff chuckled. “Not much could take you out.”

“They say there’s no fool like an old fool, Tracy, and I was being an old fool,” Lee shrugged, unashamed to admit it. “I refused to leave Alfie even though in my heart I knew I should have given up on him long ago, but he was a link, you know? Something we built together.”

“Yeah, I get it,” Jeff sighed. “Things you build are often the hardest to leave behind.”

“Yeah, they are, but sometimes it’s necessary,” he sipped his drink, debating for a second on the best way to approach the situation. Sally had warned him that Jeff was at his most stubborn and wouldn't be easy to approach. But then again, when had he ever been subtle? “So, I hear you’ve been taking the role of an old fool too seriously?”

“I beg your pardon?” Jeff spluttered, choking on a sip of the good stuff so that it burnt his throat as it dive bombed his lungs. It took him a few wheezing moments to catch his breath and recover his ability to talk.

“I said you’re acting like a fool.”

Jeff threw him a glare so deadly that not even John could hope to better it. 

Lee however, was made of sterner stuff and remained completely unaffected. Picking up the bottle again he topped up his glass and leaned over to do the same for Jeff. Jeff moved his glass away before any of the amber liquid could make it in. 

“When your mother called me and told me that half your boys had moved out you could have knocked me down with a feather. Figured you must have done something mighty shitty to get them to act that way.”

“Why are you automatically blaming me? They were the ones that walked out on International Rescue, abandoning their family and their duty because of pride.”

“Their pride, or yours? Because, to my way of thinking, those boys don’t give up easily, they take after you like that.”

“So you’ve already made your mind up, huh? You’re going to sit there, in my home and judge me?” 

“Ain't my place to judge, only God can do that, but I can be of the opinion that you’re a might soft in the head. But you’re right, I’m thinkin’ I’m needing to hear the whole story from you before I make up my mind.”

Jeff didn't want to talk, he didn't want to have to explain himself or his actions in his own home, within his own organisation, but he also knew his friend and was certain that he wouldn't shut up until he knew everything that had happened down to what Jeff had eaten for breakfast that morning. 

"This is my organisation, my dream, something I did to help my family and others and I've waited eight years to get back to it. It was only the thought of my family that kept me going, the memory of them kept me sane."

"You did good, boy, you survived."

"Yeah, and I came back to everything being different, some of my sons are now grown up and I don't have a place in my own life anymore. I had to find myself again. And I've done that, I've found my purpose again. I'm helping people, I'm continuing my dream." 

"Continuing it by crushing theirs?" 

"Don't be ridiculous," Jeff snorted, grabbing the bottle and pouring another inch into his glass, it looked like he’d need it. “They can continue to do what they’re good at and help people, I don’t see what the problem is.”

Lee sighed, knowing this was going to be hard. Jeff was a tough nut to crack at the best of times and this certainly wasn’t one of them. He knew that his friend probably needed careful handling, but unfortunately that wasn’t something Lee was good at, so he’d have to deal with the bald truth.

“You tell me what happened the last few rescues, Sally said there were issues.”

Jeff sipped. “There were no issues on my end, we received the calls, I took the details, coordinated and then gave them their orders, same as always.”

“You gave them their orders?” Lee repeated, unable to believe what he’d just heard. “Like they were your employees or something?”

“Technically they are, they all get a healthy salary from International Rescue and from the Tracy business itself.”

“A business they have continued to grow in your absence, a rescue service that they not only kept going but improved on?”

“That’s beside the point-”

“Is it though? Or are you just trying to justify what happened?”

“Nothing happened!” Jeff exploded, knocking back the remainder of his drink and slamming the glass down on the side table, his anger helping the liquid go down far too easily. He got to his feet, needing to move, to pace, something that Scott and Gordon took after him with. The thought of Scott made him wince. To say that he wasn’t a little hurt and betrayed by the actions of his eldest would be lying to himself. Scott was the one he saw himself in the most, the one that he had always been able to count on to have his back and take his side. 

“So they just upped and left because they wanted a vacation?” Lee didn’t look convinced, lounging back in his seat with that look on his face that said ‘boy, I know you’re bullshitting me’.

“No,” Jeff scowled. “I meant that the rescue itself was fine, or it would have been if they had listened to me and done as they were told. They seem to forget that I have a few more years experience than they do.”

“That you do,” Lee agreed pleasantly. “But you know what these youngsters are like, always think they know better,” he broke out into a sudden grin. “Why, do you remember that Colonel we had at Cape Kennedy? He had a wealth of experience that one. Remember the stories he used to tell us? The drills he’d put us through?”

Jeff chuckled, remembering. The memories were enough to calm him and he took his seat again, feeling tired all of a sudden. “Yeah, he thought he knew everything.”

“All I remember about him was how frustrating it was to have him regale us with his stories and know that none of it would work if he were doing it in our day and age and with our equipment. Old fuddy duddy with his fear of new technology, sometimes it seemed like he just didn’t want to learn.”

“Stuck in his ways,” Jeff agreed, recalling how annoying it had been for them trying to use the upgraded systems when Colonel Richards was insisting they did it his way. “He didn’t understand the advances in technology and just wouldn’t let us do things our way.”

“I guess in that respect we were the youngsters who thought they knew better, he must have hated us,” Lee laughed.

“He probably did,” Jeff agreed.

“Kinda like how your boys must be feeling now,” Lee added slyly. 

Jeff paused, letting that sink in for a second, realising that he had walked neatly into Lee’s trap. “You bastard.”

“Don’t hate the player, hate the game,” Lee saluted with his half full glass. “Ain’t no hiding from the truth, boy.”

Did Lee have a point? Honestly, Jeff didn’t want to look too closely at it for fear that his friend might be right.

“Richards was just trying to look out for us, just the same as I am for my sons,” Jeff argued, determined to stick to his guns. He wasn’t like that old man, he wasn’t stuck in his ways. He’d always been a modern thinker, pushing the limits and demanding the most up to date technology and the freshest ideas. Hell, that was why he’d chosen Brains, an untested engineer, fresh out of university and had taken a gamble on him. Sure, he’d been young, but that didn’t mean he was an idiot. A tiny thought nagged at his mind, that although his sons were still relatively young, they weren’t idiots either, but again, he refused to let himself examine that too closely.

“I get that, but do they?” Lee continued, pulling him out of his musings and back to the current conversation. Jeff found that that happened to him a lot, his mind would wander, going off in its own direction. He supposed that was another side effect of spending so many years alone in conversation with himself, you could talk to yourself about anything. Out there he’d only had himself and his brains to rely on, his enginuity, his problem solving and survival skills. He had done the best he could with what he had, something that he and Lee had always excelled at. 

“They are my sons, It's my job to support them and to protect them,” he sighed, dropping his head into his hands. How had things gotten so messed up so quickly? He felt like he was a stranger in his own house, in his own family, like he didn’t belong. He’d fought so hard to home, to hold on for them but now he felt like it might have been better if he had died on that asteroid, or in the Zero-X itself.

“All I wanted to do was to take some of the pressure off them, to look after them like I used to. Now I’ve got one son that’s so wound up he’s losing his head in the middle of a rescue, throwing punches and taking it out on other members of the family. Another that’s thinking only with his heart and focusing on his woman and the youngest is following in their footsteps.. Thankfully the other two are sensible enough to see the error in their ways and stay put.”

Lee scratched his chin thoughtfully, his fingers rasping on the stubble there, reminding Jeff of just how late it was.

“What?” Jeff asked, growing frustrated when his friend had yet to verbalise what he was churning over in his head. “Whatever you’re thinking, just say it, you know you want to. Don’t try to spare my feelings, you never have before.” 

“Well,” Lee drawled, stretching out his words as if he were thinking about how to form his next sentence, something Jeff knew was a stalling tactic, because Lee never thought anything through before he opened his mouth if he could help it. “I’m just finding it hard to equate a reckless, over emotional idiot with any of your sons, especially not the ones that you just spoke about.”

“I can assure you, it’s true,” Jeff snorted.

“You know they’ve saved my life on more than one occasion?”

“Yes, I read the reports.”

“And that I helped them out one time too?”

Jeff nodded.

“And not one time did they display anything like you’ve said. They were completely professional even when I wasn’t being that way myself. They were competent, courteous even though they probably wanted to shout at me, especially your Steve-”

“Scott,” Jeff corrected.

“That’s right, Scott, especially that one. I’ve never seen a better bunch of boys, if we could have had them in the service with us things would have gone a lot more smoothly, I can tell you that much. They came up with things that I never would have thought of. I’d trust any of them to have my back just as I would you”

“They’re still young, they still make mistakes.” As soon as he said it he wanted to take it back, he knew it was a paltry excuse.

“In your opinion,” Lee insisted. “Hell, I’m old and I still make plenty, I’m just grateful your boys are around to help get me out of them.”

“They aren’t right now though, are they?” Jeff sighed, letting his friend’s words sink in. 

“Like I said, there’s no fool like an old fool, Jeff Tracy.”

“And I’ve been an old fool,” Jeff stated quietly, realising that it was the first truthful thing he’d said all evening.

“Yep, reckon you have.”

“Thanks for that vote of confidence,” Jeff said dryly. “It wasn’t on purpose.”

“Well I know that, but the fact remains that you undermined them, you refused to see that they might know better than you, that they might now have more experience than you, because you thought you knew better.”

“Want some salt to rub into that wound?” Jeff held out his glass for a top up. “It’s just hard, it’s been hard since I got back. They didn’t need me anymore, I felt like a burden. I guess I thought that if I could slip back into my old role it would take some of the pressure off them and give me a purpose too. That’s the big thing, I feel useless, like I don’t have a reason to be here anymore. They don’t need their old dad.”

“Sure they do.”

“They don’t, you just said so yourself, they have more experience, a better working knowledge of the equipment and they can get the job done without my interference.”

“That doesn’t mean they don’t need ya. Kids always need their Pa.”

Jeff made a soft noise of disagreement in his throat. He found that very hard to believe, they didn’t need him, they had made that perfectly clear.

“All your boys need to know is that you are there for them, they need to be able to count on your support. They need to know that if they have a problem they can come to you, but they don’t need you to be the problem. You need to trust your boys to know what to do and to make their own decisions. Remember what it was like when someone tried to tell you how to do your job and when you had to go from giving orders to taking them. Wasn’t fun, was it?”

“No, it wasn’t, it was awful. I guess I didn’t realise I was treating them that way. I was just trying to help. What’s the good of having all this experience if it's no good? It’s not easy to come to terms with the fact that you no longer have a purpose.”

“Bullshit,” Lee declared. “You’re gonna get off this pity train at the next station, this isn't the track for you.”

“You sure know how to make a guy feel better,” Jeff grumbled.

“Sure I do, you just ain’t given me the chance yet.”

“Feel free to start any time.”

“You ain’t useless, boy. No more so than I am. You think that your experience and knowledge is worthless? Well, I’m here to make you think again. I’ve been where you are, when your boys came and got me off the moon I thought I was nothing but a washed up old has-been. But I soon learned otherwise. I got to repay them when they called on me for help and my expertise, we got a transporter ship to Mars and I spent just over a year there helping the colony. See, what happened there? The boys reached out and asked for my help, they aren’t too proud to ask for help or advice when they need it, they just don’t want you shoving it in their faces.” He stopped to take a sip of his drink. “I have a proposition for ya.”

“You do? What is it?” Jeff set aside his glass, not wanting any more, three was already over the limit of his tolerance. 

“I want you to come and work with me at the GDF as part of their space training program.”

Jeff made a face. “I don’t know, I never really saw myself in a training role.”

“Neither did I, which is why I don’t do that. I’m a consultant, we devise the program and others implement it. We wrote the book on space survival, now we’re writing the books on space training and travel.”

“Can I think about it?”

“Sure ya can, take yer time,” Lee got to his feet. “It’s getting late and I’m not as young as I used to be, I feel one of your visitors beds calling me. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“See you then,” Jeff responded automatically.

“Oh, and, Jeff?”

“Yeah?” 

“Call your sons and apologise. I want to see them at breakfast too.”

Lee didn’t give Jeff time to argue, leaving the room as suddenly as he had come in.

Jeff swirled the remaining inch or so of amber liquid still left in his glass, pondering over everything his friend had said. He’d been right, he knew that, but that didn’t make it any easier a pill to swallow. It was hard to back down, something that Jeff had never been good at at the best of times and this wasn't one of them.

He needed to step back again, he knew that, and more importantly, he needed to make it up to his sons. He just needed to man up, get his head out of his ass and do it.

He knocked back the last of his drink and retrieved his phone from his desk.

I typed out a group text and sent it to all three of his sons that we’re currently ignoring him.

Please, come home tomorrow, we need to talk.

His boys deserved an apology and they deserved it face to face.


	50. There's no place like home.

Alan’s elbow was digging into her stomach, Scott’s legs were draped over her’s and poor John was squashed under all of them because she had chosen his lap to perch on before the others had decided they wanted in on movie time. She just hoped he could breathe under there, he hadn’t moved in a while. This amount of long limbed people on one small couch was not an easy jenga puzzle to pull off but they had managed it and were finally settled in a reasonably comfortable position, about twenty minutes into the movie when in perfect synchronization, all three of the boys phones chimed.

Scott stretched towards the coffee table, but couldn’t reach his, grunting in effort,before collapsing back in defeat. Alan tried too, his fingers grasping at air, but his arms were even shorter. John raised an arm feebly but was so stuck he could barely move. It was down to her, she was their last chance.

“Hey, Scotty long legs, move will you,” Selene smacked lightly at his knee, then tried shoving at him when he refused to move. “Dude!”

“I’m comfy,” he leant back further, crossing his arms behind his head. “If it was an actual emergency from the island they would call on our comms, so whatever that is can wait.”

She made another half hearted attempt to reach John’s phone, lifting her leg to try to nudge it with her foot but gave it up as too much effort, settling back, getting comfortable again. The movie was actually a good one and deserved to have them paying attention. For once they had all been in agreement as to what they wanted to watch and were soon so engrossed that the dinging phones had been forgotten about. 

It wasn’t until the movie was over and they were extracting themselves from the tangle of limbs - John needing some help because his legs had gone to sleep - that Alan remembered the notifications and checked his phone.

“Guys, it’s from Dad.”

“What?” Scott stopped in his tracks on his way to the kitchen. “All of them?”

John checked and nodded. “Looks like it.”

“What does it say?”

“Not much, just that he wants us to come home tomorrow so we can talk,” John shrugged.

Scott dumped the empty popcorn bowl in the dishwasher and retrieved his phone, needing to see the words for himself.

“What do you think? Alan asked, unconsciously edging closer to Selene, who wrapped her arm around his shoulders, pulling him into her side for a hug. “What do we do?”

“There’s no apology there,” Scott frowned. “Honestly, what are the chances that he’s had a change of heart on his own?”

“It has only been four days,” John agreed slowly. “That's not a lot of time. What do you want to do about it?”

“We aren’t a dictatorship,” Scott sighed. “It’s not about me making the decision for us all, that’s what Dad was doing and we all know how that worked out for us. What do you think?”

John paused for a moment, thinking. Selene felt Alan’s shoulders tense under her arm and gave him a comforting squeeze.

“Obviously we need to find out why he wants to see us and what he has to say,” John mused. 

“Obviously,” Scott agreed, perching on the arm of the couch, “but do we really want to go back the second he summons us just to have our opinions and needs be ignored again?”

“That’s the question, I suppose.” John sank back down on the couch, reaching for Selene’s half drunk and abandoned bottle of beer. He took a healthy swig and then passed it on to Scott who did the same, pausing for a second as if debating before offering it to Alan.

Selene dropped her arm to allow him to take the bottle. Alan wasn’t a big fan of beer but he gamely took a large mouthful, only making a face once he’d swallowed.

“You’ve been quiet, what do you think?” Scott asked Alan after he’d passed the bottle back to John.

“I don’t know,” Alan answered honestly, “of course I want to go back home. No offence, Selene,” he tacked on, looking a little guilty.

“Hey, none taken, kiddo, I love you guys but I want to be able to walk around without a bra or pants now and then.”

Scott snorted in amusement as Alan flushed in borrowed embarrassment. John simply shook his head, closing his eyes briefly as if praying for strength. Selene didn’t care, they knew she always said what she was thinking, they had known her too long to be truly surprised by anything she uttered.

“On that note,” John started, trying to push the conversation on and away from his girl's chest, at which Scott was openly staring and Alan trying to avoid at all costs.

“We have to go back, don’t we?” Scott sighed. 

John nodded. “I think so, yes, but not straight away, or at least I won’t be.”

“Neither will I,” Alan agreed, his jaw set in one of his customary stubborn pouts, his arms crossed.

“So we give him a day or two to stew as he did to us?” Scott confirmed.

The other two nodded their agreement.

***

“You OK, love?” Selene whispered softly, rolling onto her side to face John. The walls of her apartment were on the thin side and she didn’t want their conversation to be overheard. “You know, with everything that happened earlier?”

John set his phone aside and slid down the pillows to lay beside her. “I’m fine, honestly I was expecting something like this.”

“You were?”

He nodded. “He said we should go to bed and calm down, like we were over tired children, so it was only a matter of time before he called us back once he'd decided we'd had time to cool off,” Selene detected a slight sneer on his last words and she could tell he wasn’t happy. “He was waiting for us to crawl back with our tails between our legs and because we haven’t he’s trying a new tactic.”

“You think that’s what this is? Some kind of ploy to get you back on side?”

“What else could it be? I highly doubt he's changed his mind, he never does. He’ll start off with platitudes designed to lower our guard and make us listen and then he’ll throw in some token gesture so we feel like we’ve won when really he’s the only one that’s come out of this the victor.”

“Surely he wouldn’t think like that?” Selene whispered back, shocked that her sweet, loving man could think that way about his own father. What the hell had gone on while they were growing up for them to see Jeff that way? 

“Of course he would. He’s always been like that, he’s a businessman, he’s used to getting what he wants. One of his favourite tricks in a meeting was to make people think they are getting what they wanted , getting the better deal when really they were simply playing into his hands.”

Selene’s eyebrows rose in disbelief. “That’s so cold and calculated.”

John shrugged. “It’s the truth.”

“He just doesn’t seem that way to me, it’s hard to think of him like that.”

“Even after his little display the other night?”

Selene made a face in acknowledgment at the truth of his comment.

John sighed, sliding his arms around her waist to tug her closer, resting his head on her shoulder. “I can’t blame you for not seeing it, you’ve only known him a short time and he was so different when he came home, even I believed he’d changed while out there. He wasn't too bad when we were small, and he mellowed a lot when he retired from the businesses and started International Rescue, but he’s always had that stubborn streak, it was just a matter of time until it showed itself again.”

“So what are you going to do if this does turn out to be some elaborate game play of his?”

“I guess we leave again.”

“You don’t think there’s a chance he’s sorry and being genuine?”

“I'd say it's about as likely as Gordon picking up his socks.”

Even his attempt at a joke felt hollow as the gravity of the situation hit home once again. They hadn’t wanted to think about it, but it really did seem like this could be the end of their involvement with International Rescue. Yet, obviously, none of them had wanted to voice it out loud.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart, I wish there was something I could do to make this better for you all,” she cuddled closer, dropping a little kiss on his collar bone.

“You are, just by being you. You didn’t hesitate to stand up for us and support us, you let my family invade your home-”

“Our home, where you go, I go. And they are our family, there was never any question that they would be welcome here with us.”

“We don’t deserve you.”

“No, you don’t, you poor things. You deserve a quiet, gentle woman who won’t drive you crazy on a daily basis. Unfortunately I met you first so you’re stuck with me now. Sucks to be you.”

That got a small laugh out of him as he rolled onto his back, taking her with him.

“Tomorrow we should take the boys somewhere, maybe show them the sights, what do you think?” she suggested.

He thought about it for a second, then nodded. “I think they would like that.”

“But you won't, I'm sorry, it was a crap suggestion."

“No, it wasn't, this isn't about me, it’s about them. They need something to take their minds off this, sitting in here all day won’t help them.”

“You’re the best brother ever,” she smiled.

“Tell that to Scott,” he snorted, but he smiled back, a small twitch of his lips, but it was enough.

***

Jeff was annoyed. He knew he shouldn’t be, but he was. He knew he had no rights to be so put out, but he couldn't help it. He had had breakfast with Lee after everyone else had eaten and then after a video call with Colonel Cassey to discuss Lee’s offer of a consultancy position, had waved his friend off and sat down to await the return of his children.

He’d waited, and waited, and waited some more. It was somewhere in the thirteenth hour that he realised that they weren’t coming. He’d even said please, it was a perfectly nice request. Yet that hadn’t come home. The sudden flare of anger he felt surprised him and he forced himself to take a deep breath before he gave in to the lure of his phone and his request changed into an order.

He'd made his decision, he'd come to the realisation that in this instance it was his turn to do the running, to make the effort towards them, but that didn't mean it was an easy task and the longer he waited the harder it would be. But he had a sneaking suspicion that they knew that and were making him wait just as he had them. 

How had he become this person? The one that he didn’t like? When had he changed so much that his own sons would rather be squashed up in a small two bedroom apartment than at home with him? Had he truly been that bad? He had thought that the boys were simply rebelling, maybe overtired and acting out. He would never have believed they were capable of leaving as they had. 

He really had screwed up, more than he could ever have imagined. Not only had he broken his sons trust in him, he’d broken their spirits too. Scott, his Scott, would never have gone so far as to walk out on something as important as International Rescue unless he felt like he had no other choice, yet he had driven him to do just that. He’d made his boys doubt themselves and him, something he'd never wanted to do. 

He sighed, switching off his holoprojector and getting to his feet, feeling the pop and crack of his weary bones. He couldn't rush them, he knew that, he couldn’t keep pushing them to do things on his schedule, he’d have to start as he meant to go on, letting them make their own decisions and trust that they would do the right thing. They would come home when they were ready, he had to have faith in them, the same faith he’d held on to for eight long years. He had to let them find a place for him in their lives and their organisation rather than trying to shove his way in.

He made his way slowly to bed, preparing for another sleepless night alone in the dark.

He’d gone about everything the wrong way, he knew that now. He just hoped that they would come home sooner rather than later so he could start making it up to them.

***

John guided the small car into its designated space in Two’s hangar and cut the engine. 

"Is it just me, or does it feel weird to just be turning up like this?" Scott asked quietly. "No requesting permission to land, no checking flight paths and not being in one of our crafts."

Alan shook his head. 

"It's not just you," John assured him. “But we wanted the element of surprise so this was the only way to do it. Are you ready to go up and see what he wants?”

“Not really,” Scott admitted. “But we might as well get it over with.”

“Game plan?”

“Don’t let him flatter us or turn things around to make us feel bad?”

“I guess it’s the best we’ve got,” John nudged the car door closed and pocketed the key card, not bothering to lock it.

They found their father working at his desk, which wasn’t unusual. He looked tired though, older than even when they had rescued him. Scott cleared his throat and to their surprise Jeff actually jumped, as if he were paying no attention at all.

“Boys,” Jeff greeted them, getting to his feet.

Scott and John nodded a hello in return while Alan simply stood there, not saying a word. He’d been quiet the entire ride there and didn’t seem to be in the mood for small talk.

“Thank you for coming. Will you take a seat?” Jeff asked, moving past them to the sunken seating area.

Scott glanced at John, who raised one eyebrow in answer.

“That depends on why you’ve brought us here.”

“To talk.”

John snorted softly but sat on the couch opposite Jeff’s, Scott joining him a moment later. Alan squeezing in beside Scott. There was barely enough room for them but they made it work, needing the solidarity.

Jeff looked across at his sons, not knowing how to start now that they were there. He didn’t know what he had been expecting them to do but it wasn’t for them to sit in silence glaring at him over the coffee table. Something told him this was going to be harder than he had thought. He’d hope that they would be a little warmer towards him but he guessed that he couldn’t blame them, if he had been in their shoes he would have been suspicious too. He had to make the first move and he had to make them see that he was genuine in his desire to make amends. He had to swallow his pride still further. He took a deep breath and spoke the only words he could.

“I’m sorry.”

“Excuse me?” Scott couldn’t have sounded more shocked if Jeff had just suggested he roast a pig in One’s engine.

Jeff sighed, closing his eyes briefly. He knew they wouldn't make it easy but did they have to make him say it again?

“I said I was sorry. You were right to stand up to me and you were right to leave. You were thinking of the good of International Rescue and you made a hard decision rather than let it suffer when you knew you weren’t in the right frame of mind to be here.”

John shot Scott a sideways glance, receiving a small, barely there shrug in return.

“I was wrong, I realise that now. I don’t have an excuse but all I ask is that you allow me the courtesy of explaining the thinking behind my actions.”

“Dad, we aren’t here to have you explain yourself, we just wanted you to listen to us and realise that we know what we’re doing,” Scott argued, not wanting to hear any more. He didn’t like the way this conversation was going, he wanted to believe their dad but past experiences and recent events had left a bitter taste in his mouth that no amount of sweet words could fix. But he also didn’t want to see his father this way, looking defeated and almost broken. Jeff Tracy was a strong man, one who hardly ever made a mistake let alone apologised for it. It was strange and it was making him feel very uncomfortable.

“I know I don’t have to explain myself but I want to. As was recently pointed out to me, you aren't kids anymore, you’re adults and I need to start treating you as such.”

John nodded his acceptance. “Alright, we’re listening.” 

“I spoke with both your grandmother and Lee and they gave me some home truths that were hard to swallow but needed to be said. I realise now that even though I was acting with the best of intentions my execution was poor.”

Scott snorted softly and Alan huffed but Jeff noticed that they didn’t agree or disagree. They were staying neutral, probably so as not to annoy him further. Since when had his sons felt the need to tip toe around him through fear of saying the wrong thing? It shouldn't be like that, not now, not ever. 

“I was just trying to protect you and help you as best I could but I guess I forgot that time had passed. When I was up there the only thing I had were my memories and in my head nothing had changed, nothing had moved on. I didn’t truly believe that you were all exactly as I had left you, like you were frozen in time or something. I knew you wouldn’t have given up on International Rescue, but I supposed I just didn’t think that you would have become so independent that you didn’t need me anymore.”

“Dad, we’ll always need you,” John started.

“You have no idea how much we missed you and how much we wished that you were here, especially when we were having a bad day and needed someone to talk to, someone that could see the truth of a situation and put things into perspective,” Scott added.

“I know that now, son. I realise that it’s not a question of me not being able to step back into my old role but in finding another. I thought I was helping by coordinating the rescues, taking some of the pressure off you so you could just concentrate on getting the job done with no distractions. I guess I forgot the most important part of being a father, and that’s to listen to your kids.”

“Yeah, I guess you did,” Virgil said quietly.

All four heads whipped round to see him and Gordon standing in the doorway.

“Nice of you to have this little meeting without us, it makes us feel real important,” Gordon added, his usually cheerful face creased in an epic frown.

“Don’t you think that we deserved to be told about this? They aren’t the only ones that are pissed off here, we just didn’t show that displeasure by walking out,” Virgil finished, his voice holding a quiet, deadly tone that Scott and John hadn’t heard in a long time.

"Hey, now wait just a minute," Scott scowled. "You know we wouldn't ignore you."

"You walked out on us, Scott, without telling anyone what you planned on doing," Virgil said, glaring at him. 

“I just wanted to talk to-” Jeff started to argue. 

“You just wanted to do things your way as usual,” Gordon sneered. 

“They’re right, they should have been included from the start,” Alan piped up. “This whole thing started because no one would talk about what was bothering them, no one felt like they could speak up with their opinions or worries.”

Everyone turned to stare at him, shocked that his first words of the meeting had hit the nail on the head so accurately.

“Everyone was so scared of saying the wrong thing or to stand up for themselves that they said nothing and just let things fester when we should have been talking things out like a family,” he continued, “that's not how we do things here, well it didn't used to be.”

“I wasn’t intending on keeping you boys out of anything,” Jeff assured them. “I didn't know your brothers were here until they walked in, I just wanted to assure them that I had called them home for the right reasons, then I was going to talk to you all together.”

“You say that now,” Virgil pushed, “but what about in the future? I don’t want to go through his shit every time someone puts their stubborn asshole head on.”

“That won’t happen, please, sit down so I can talk to you all.”

Virgil and Gordon exchanged glances before they slowly made their way to the seating area, choosing to sit on a couch together away from the others. This was a silent protest, a statement that told their feelings more than words ever could. They were presenting a united front, having been pushed aside and not consulted on anything that had happened in the last week. 

“OK, say what you were going to before we rudely interrupted,” Gordon pushed, settling back against the cushions with an air of pissed off righteousness that they never normally saw from him.

“Gordon, there’s no need to be rude, show some respect,” Scott started but stopped when he realised what he was doing. He was defending their dad just as he always had, the dad that could do no wrong, that had always demanded respect but in this instance hadn’t earned it. Old habits die hard but now that things were out in the open Scott wasn't prepared to go back to the way they had been before. “Sorry I didn’t mean that, you have every right to be pissed off. Respect is earned and you’re an adult who has the right to speak his mind, just as we all do.”

Gordon nodded his appreciation for the support and Scott noticed him unclench a little, as did Virgil. The two of them had obviously had many discussions while he, Alan and John had been away, just as they had. The five brothers had always been a unit, had always supported and respected each other, they had all just lost sight of that for a little while.

“If I may speak?” Jeff asked in a tone of quiet request. When all five nodded he continued. “I have made mistakes with you all, and for that I can only apologise. It wasn’t intentional but I see now that I made some serious errors in judgement.”

“Yeah, you did,” Gordon muttered, earning himself a sharp elbow to the ribs from Virgil who was already looking sorry for his outburst. Virgil was the peacemaker of the group, hating there to be unrest or bad feelings between them. It was in his nature to try to mend bridges and help where he could, not to make things worse.

“I’ve come to realise that while I thought I was acting in your best interests it seems that my judgement was off. I should have spent more time watching you all and learning how you worked so I could work with you, not against you. I buried myself in the mission reports, determined to learn everything that had happened in the time I was gone, when really I should have spoken to you all and found out that way.”

“Yes, that would have been best,” John agreed.

“I know that you are all fully capable of running things on your own, but I still wanted to be involved and it didn’t feel like I had a place here anymore. So instead of listening I tried to force my way in and impose my rule on you all, which I know is the worst thing I could have ever done. I’m sorry.” 

"It's not that we don't want you involved," Gordon said. "We do, this is a family business and you're our family, this was your dream first."

“You’ll always have a place here,” Virgil assured him. “It just needs to be one that works for us all.”

“And what would work for you all?”

Once again Scott felt all eyes turn to him and he cursed the fact that he was the oldest and therefore seen as the leader. It meant that he was expected to have all the answers for all of them all of the time. He didn't know what to say, he didn’t want to speak for them when they had just been saying that everyone should have an opinion. He closed his eyes briefly, taking a deep breath, trying to calm his racing mind. Out of the jumble of thoughts and emotions one thing stood out to him and he spoke without debating the wiseness of his words.

“We don’t want a commander, we want a dad. We want to know that you’re there for us when we need you, to listen to us and to support us, not to overrule us.”

Jeff chuckled quietly, the sound startling in the near silence of the big room but very welcome as it eased a little of the tension.

“That’s exactly what Lee said and I happen to agree. He said you’d come to me and ask my opinion when you needed it, not when I thought you did.”

“He’s right,” Virgil shrugged. “We’re not too proud to ask for help when we need it, but we don’t want to feel like we can’t talk to you because you’ll take over and start making decisions for us.”

“We need you to listen, we all need to listen,” John added.

“We need you to let us do things our way,” Gordon said.

“We need you to trust us,” Scott continued.

“We need you to believe in us like we believe in you,” Alan finished.

“I do believe in you, I always have, I never lost faith in any of you, I’m just sorry that I lost sight of how to show that. I thought I was helping but I see now that you didn’t need my kind of help thrust on you. From now on I’ll be taking a back seat in the rescue business, I’m going to be working for the GDF-”

“You don’t need to do that, Dad,” Scott insisted. “We don’t want to drive you out, we just want to have an equal say.”

“I know that, son, but I’ve been doing a lot of thinking the last few days and I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m too old and too tired to be active in rescues full time, as these last few days have proved. I’m more suited to a consultants role.”

“Consultant?” John asked.

“Yes, both to International Rescue should you need me, to the GDF with Lee in their space program and in the company. I need to stay active, but in more of a backstage role. I need to carve a new place for myself and find a new purpose rather than trying to slip back into my old life when that old life isn't there anymore.”

“And you think you’ll be content to just sit back and watch?” Virgil asked.

“I’m going to do my best.”

“Yeah, it's not as easy as it seems, ” John snorted. 

“So, this is all fixed now is it? We’re just supposed to go back to normal?” Alan asked, his tone one of pure skepticism that only a teenager could pull off. “Because I don’t know about you guys, but I’m not prepared to come back on a promise and have to leave again.”

“Me neither, Allie,” John assured him. 

“Give me a chance to prove to you that I’m serious, please.”

“We all need to listen to each other, we’re a team and we need to act like it,” Virgil insisted. “All of us are guilty of that.”

All five of his sons nodded their agreement at This. They couldn't deny it. Each of them had shut themselves away, cut themselves off from each other and ignored their own feelings and opinions until they had boiled over to breaking point. It had rarely happened before Jeff had come home but once he had they had fallen back into parent pleasing mode. 

Scott could admit to himself that part of his problem had been not wanting to feel weak, to feel like he couldn't cope with the way things had been going. He didn't like to complain and whine that it wasn't fair, that his dad was treating him like a kid and ignoring him, but he had also known that he couldn't let the anger continue to bubble away inside him. 

He had put far too much stock in their father coming home, much more than he should have, and his ideals had been misplaced. He'd just been so tired or all the decision making being down to him, of all the pressure on his shoulders that he had believed Jeff would help rather than hinder and make things worse. 

“It’s not going to be perfect straight away,” Jeff admitted. “It’s going to take time, but I’m going to try my best and I want to know that all of you will help by having the guts to tell me when to back off and to stand up for yourselves. Can you do that?”

“I’m on board,” Gordon said. "Things needed to change." 

“Me too,” Virgil agreed. "I just want our family back together and the team."

“I guess so,” Alan sighed, although he didn’t sound too convinced. “John?”

“I’m willing to try it. Scott?”

All eyes were on him, once again it was down to him to make the decision, to agree or disagree. He looked at his brothers, his team. He’d never wanted to leave them, this was where he belonged. Things might not go smoothly for a while, they wouldn't be straightened out over night, but he knew that they would all do their best. If this whole nasty business had proved anything it was that he had the support of his brothers no matter what happened. Hell, John had been raging at him, had almost punched him, but had put aside his anger to follow him when it had mattered, to support him when he had needed it. There was only one answer he could possibly give.

“I’m in.”

***

“How did it go?” Selene asked from her spot on the couch where she had been stretched out reading a magazine, quietly enjoying the space and the peace.

“As well as it could,” John answered, diverting to the kitchen to grab a drink before joining her on the couch. She lifted her legs to make room for him and then dropped them back down across his lap.

He was alone, no bouncing puppy Alan followed him in, no quietly brooding Scott. Even though he and John had talked things out after they had time to calm down, Scott still hadn't been himself, something she had hated to see. She knew he was miserable away from home, away from the action and was glad that he hadn't come back with John, it was a positive sign. It was the same with Alan, he'd been his usual excitable self but there had been an undertone of sadness within him, especially when they had seen or done something that he would usually automatically share with Gordon. She'd seen him look up as if he'd expected his brother to be there and had to reach for his phone instead. 

They had all spoken during their time apart, calls and texts, but it wasn't the same and had been stilted, Gordon and Virgil avoiding talk of Jeff, not wanting to make their absent brothers worry more. Virgil had told her privately that he didn't want Scott to feel like he had to come home for them before he was ready. 

They all cared about each other so much and it had broken her heart to see them ripped apart over something that could have been avoided had they had a more approachable father. 

“I’m assuming that the lack of house guests with you means that they stayed behind?”

“Yep,” he downed half his glass of orange juice before continuing. “We talked a lot, about everything that had happened, all the things that we hadn't wanted to bring up at the time but that needed to be said."

"That's good, that's all you could do. You guys needed to be honest with each other as well as your dad, but how did Jeff take it?" 

John finished his juice and passed her the glass to put on the coffee table, his hand settling on her thigh. 

"Dad seemed sincere. He says he's taking a back seat from now on and letting us run things how we see fit, he’ll help, but when it comes to rescues he’s staying out of the planning unless we ask his opinion.”

“Wow, that’s quite a turn around. Are you OK with it, do you think it will work?”

He shrugged, his fingers absently doodling little patterns on her leg. “In theory it will work fine, in practice, I’m reserving judgement for a later date.”

“So what do we do now?”

“I said we’d go back tomorrow, if that’s alright with you. I just needed a night to process everything.”

“Of course it’s alright with me, you know I’ll go wherever you are.”

“I know,” he smiled briefly before covering his mouth to hide a yawn, but she saw it.

“Don’t think I didn’t see that,” she swung her legs off his lap and grabbed his hand, hauling him to his feet. “Come on you, it’s bedtime.”

"Huh," he paused, resisting her attempts to move him. He tugged on her hand, pulling her closer, his arms looping around her middle, trapping her. “I just realised something.”

“You did? What?” 

“I left my brothers back on the Island.”

“Duh, you just said that, we had a whole conversation about it”

“I know," he dipped his head to drop a soft kiss on her neck.

"Yet you're telling me it again, why?" she tipped her head to the side, silently demanding more kisses, already distracted. 

"That means we’re alone,” he nipped lightly as her skin just to hear her sharp inhale. 

Her face morphed from a confused frown into a wide grin.

"Oh, you're right!" 

"I usually am."

“Then it’s definitely time for bed.”


	51. Back in the saddle.

“International Rescue, this is Thunderbird Five, we have a situation.”

Three heads snapped up as John’s hologram appeared in the middle of the lounge.

“What’s the situation, John?” Jeff asked from his spot at his desk. They had been back two days and this was their first emergency call. To say that everyone was on edge was an understatement. 

“Unseasonably heavy rainfall over the last few days has caused a flash flood heading towards a village in the Highlands of Scotland that has a large number of retirement properties and elderly residents as well as families. A river has burst its banks and it’s already reached the lower houses of the town, some of which are already half under water and its rising fast. The local authority has sent in some help to try and evacuate the residents but some are being a little...difficult.”

“How deep is the flooding?” Gordon asked, drawn to the lounge from parts unknown by the mere mention of water.

“Not deep enough for Thunderbird Four to be needed,” John replied, pulling up a new visual display to show a map of the area. “The local authorities are already using motorised inflatable rafts to ferry the residents to a safe distance where they have shuttles on hand to take them into the city. But, as I said, there are a number that are refusing to leave and some that are further up the hillside that cannot be reached by land or by boat, that’s where we come in.”

“Better take Pod two and tell Brains to include those new inflatable life packs,” Virgil decided, already heading for his launch chute. “Gordon, Alan, come with me.”

Scott jogged in, hair wet from his recent shower, shirt clinging to his still damp shoulders. “What do we have?” 

“Heavy rain and a flash flood in Scotland, you had better get going,” Jeff told him. Scott paused as if waiting for the inevitable. “John will brief you when you’re in the air,” Jeff finished and Selene knew she couldn’t be the only one who saw Scott visibly relax as he moved towards the spot on the wall which concealed his launch chute.

Gordon and Alan headed to the passenger chute with a cheery wave and suddenly it was just her and Jeff left in the room. Damn, this was awkward. She hadn’t been alone with him since they had returned and didn’t really know how to act around him. It was sobering to realise you didn’t know someone as well as you thought you did. The views of others will always colour your judgement no matter how hard you try to avoid it. John’s opinion of their father had been shocking to say the least. She might joke that John was one of the most judgemental people she had ever met, but in reality he was nothing of the sort. He was the type of person to look at a situation from all sides and always keep an open mind. He didn’t judge without reason, he used logic and all the information available to him before he made his mind up about anything. She knew that he had years of experience with Jeff and that had led her to believe him. 

They sat in awkward silence, watching the feed from Five as it continued to show the progress of the water rushing the village and the attempts of the rescuers to help as many people as they could. 

There was that low down base rumble as Thunderbird One’s engines started up. Every building on the Island including the hangars had been fitted with the very best soundproofing, so they didn’t hear much more until the rocket shot out of the recently revealed opening in the swimming pool and took to the skies. The second its jets kicked in they heard the muffled boom as it broke the sound barrier and was gone in the blink of an eye. Less than four minutes later they heard the same, but with a distinctly lower pitch, as Thunderbird Two launched from the other side of the Island, banking to the left to follow after Scott.

John popped back to give them an update, relaying the same information he’d given Scott and to let them know what Scott had planned. Selene noticed the way Jeff tensed, his fingers tightening on the handle of his coffee cup.. Obviously it was the kind of plan that he would have suggested but he restrained himself from saying a word. 

Scott called in twenty-three minutes after leaving to tell them that he had arrived and was assessing the situation. The local authority had done all they could, managing to evacuate two hundred and thirty-six out of two hundred and forty-two houses before they had been beaten by the water and the steady incline of the hillside. It was calculated that there were eight people still in need of rescue, three couples and two widowers. More able bodied people that lived higher up the hillside had either walked down themselves to meet the boats or were high enough up and well stocked enough to wait it out. 

Scott took One further up the hillside, hoping to locate and hopefully rescue them without needing to wait for Virgil in Thunderbird Two, who was less than five minutes behind him. 

Jeff still hadn’t said a word, but his breathing had become a little heavier and was inching towards huffs of either exasperation or frustration, it was hard to tell which. He had the map feed from One projecting from the command center on his desk and was studying it from all angles. Honestly, he was starting to piss her off.

For lack of anything better to do and feeling the need to move, Selene got up, intending to go to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. She paused at the door, her inner British politeness taking over, leaving her unable to go without being nice.

“Would you like another cup of coffee?” he might be annoying, but he was still her father-in-law and she wasn’t that much of a bitch.

Jeff’s head jerked up as if noticing her for the first time.

“Oh,” he paused as if shocked by her offer. “Yes, that would be nice, thank you.”

Against her better judgement, she felt her heart softening a little. “Have you eaten yet today?”

He shook his head. “I haven’t really felt hungry the past week or so. I’ll get something later.” As if summoned by the thought of food and determined to rat him out, his stomach let out a loud growl.

She crossed her arms, giving him the same look she gave John when he ignored his body’s demands for food.

“You’ll have something now and you’ll eat it,” she ordered, her tone telling him it was useless to argue. “I’ll make you something while I do the coffee.”

"You don't ha- and she's gone."

As she was waiting for the milk to heat and froth in Virgil’s fancy machine that only she and John were allowed to touch, she grabbed a pan and scrambled some eggs, toasted some bread and loaded up a decent size portion onto a plate. She made the coffees, a latte for her and straight black (but sneakily decaf) for Jeff, arranging everything on a tray to carry back to the lounge. 

Jeff moved aside his tablet to make room but she ignored the deliberate invitation and instead placed the tray on the coffee table, raising an eyebrow indicating that she wasn’t bringing it closer. He took the hint and left his desk to sit beside her on the couch. She handed him the tray, taking her mug and leaving him with the rest. 

"You didn't have to make me anything, but thank you."

"No worries, I was going down there anyway, plus you needed to eat."

"Well, I appreciate it." He reached for the knife and fork and cut a small piece, hesitating before lifting it slowly to his mouth. 

"It's not poisoned you know," she joked, feeling the need to break the tension. 

It had the desired effect and she heard Jeff chuckle as he put the food in his mouth. 

"I wouldn't have blamed you if it had been," he commented after he had swallowed.

Selene, in typical Selene style, had promptly forgotten the conversation the second it was over, had no clue what he was talking about, engrossed in watching the feed from the rescue. Virgil had left Alan in Two to keep it aloft and had taken Gordon out with him in the spider pod, its flexible but sturdy legs making short work of the hillside it was running up. 

"Huh? Blame me for what?" 

"Poisoning the eggs." 

Selene snorted. "Nah, that's too much effort, they'd always suspect the witch of slipping you a potion, there's other ways."

Jeff echoed her amused snort and took another bite, this time bigger. 

"Besides, we kinda need you," Selene continued. Jeff looked tired, almost as run down as when he had first been rescued. He looked heart sore and just by sitting near him she could feel the waves of anxiety and frustration flowing from him, but, in amongst all that, was a healthy dose of love and worry for his sons. She could understand that. How many times had she sat here, watching and waiting for them to come home? She knew exactly what that was like, to feel useless, unable to do anything to help. 

"I don't think any of you have a need for me any more," Jeff snorted. 

She rolled her eyes. Yes, she could understand his feelings, but that didn't mean she was going to allow him to wallow in his pity pool for much longer. Just as she had given herself a kick up the arse and carved her own place and purpose within the organisation, so would he have to. 

"Can I be honest?" 

"Of course."

"Good, not that it would have stopped me, I'm not known for being subtle or for sparing people's feelings."

"I'm aware of this fact, that's why I said yes."

"Ouch, the old dog still bites."

He narrowed his eyes at her but that didn't deter her one bit. 

"You were there when I needed you to kick me up the arse, and since Lee isn't here I guess it's my job, so I'm returning the favour."

"Something tells me I'm not going to like this," he put down his fork in order to give her his full attention but picked it back up again when she bestowed upon him a level three Tempest glare, patent pending. 

"The first thing I have to say is that we love you, because I think you need to remember that."

“Okay,” he mumbled around another mouthful, not liking the way this conversation was going.

“And in remembering that you will know that what I’m about to say comes from a place of deep love.”

“Okay," he repeated. 

“Buck the fuck up.”

Jeff choked and she had to pat him on the back and force him to drink some water before his eyes stopped streaming and he could speak again.

“Well, you did warn me you would be blunt,” he coughed.

“Are you done dying yet?”

“I think so, yes.”

“Good, then I’ll continue. You need to get it out of your head that you aren’t needed, because nothing could be further from the truth.”

Jeff didn’t look convinced.

“You’re not getting the fact that we have a really important job.”

“We do?” he asked, forcing a smile, humouring her. She was trying to make him feel better, he knew that, it wasn’t her fault that she was doing a lousy job of it.

“Of course we do, we’re the ground crew.”

“The ground crew?”

“Yes, are you telling me you didn’t have that in the air force? You of all people should know how important the ground crew is, we’re the ones that take care of them, that look after them and we’re the ones that are always there when they need us. I felt the same way you do, though probably less so, I’ll admit, the first time I was up there with John. He was darting here and there, working on a million things at once and I just felt like a spare part. There was nothing I could physically do to help him.”

“So you understand how I feel.”

“Oh, I so do. But I soon realised that I could help in other ways, I jump in when they ask me to, when they do need me I’ll always be there. When they need a hug or to talk, I’m there. When they need babying and feeding and forcing to sleep, they have to deal with me fussing over them. That’s my job.”

Jeff nodded. He’d seen just how much she did for his boys, how much she cared for them and loved them.

“Your job will be the same, but with less babying. They need you to snap them out of it when they are having a crisis of confidence, they need you to kick their butts when they are being stupid, just like I am with you now. Your job is to give them the benefit of your wisdom when they ask for it and to know when to give it when they don’t. But we also have to trust in them to know what they are doing. They are smart boys, they will ask for help when they need it, they always do.”

Jeff raised an eyebrow at that as he put his tray down on the table in front of them.

“Well, when out on a rescue they do,” she amended. “At home it’s less likely, but not impossible. That’s usually the time when we have to help them when they need it but don’t know they need it. It’s a fine line but one I will help you find.”

She didn’t wait for him to answer, instead she wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug just as he had done for her all those weeks ago. And just as it had for her it took Jeff a few moments before he responded, his arms creeping hesitantly around her middle to hug her back. They stayed that way for a few moments before he pulled back.

“Thanks, I didn’t realise I needed that.”

“That’s exactly what John said that first day up in Five, that’s what I mean by us being the ground crew, never underestimate how important we are and how much our support means to them. You just need to back off them and learn to trust them as they trust us.”

“I’m trying to do just that,” Jeff promised.

“I know and I know it’s not always going to be easy, but I’ll be here to help.”

“Thank you, I have a feeling I’m goi-”

“Thunderbird One from Thunderbird Two, Scott do you have a visual on the Mcdonald couple?” Virgil's voice floated out of the comms and they both stopped talking immediately to tune in.

“Negative Thunderbird Two, not a sign of them. According to the community care team they are both very active for their age and the husband insists on keeping a working car on the property. They think they may have taken it upon themselves to evacuate without waiting for assistance.”

Virgil swore quietly under his breath and was silent for a second before he appealed to a higher power. “John, can you do a scan and see if there is anything you can spot that might be them? The elderly residents have medical alert bracelets on them at all times with GPS trackers so you might be able to use that.”

“On it,” John responded immediately. He was back in less than a minute. “I’ve located two alert bracelets heading down the south side of the hill. It looks to me like they have driven around the village with the intention of trying to drive away from the flood, but it’s just as bad on the other side, the hill is like an island at the moment.”

“I’ll go after them,” Virgil told them, having already turned the Pod around to head back to his bird.

“How’s it going, Scott?” Selene asked, knowing that Jeff would be wanting a progress report but that he was probably hesitant to ask for one.

Scott’s holographic form popped out of his portrait.

“Not too badly, we picked up two of the couples and one widow, all were very grateful to be rescued. We didn’t need to drop any of the inflatable packs as they had done the sensible thing and stayed in their houses awaiting help. One of the ladies was reluctant to get in the Pod with Virgil and Gordon because it looked scary. She screamed the whole way down the hill and then while they were taken aboard Two but they are safe and sound now.”

“That’s great, son,” Jeff praised, earning himself an encouraging pat on the knee from Selene.

“Alan is receiving a lot of attention from the three ladies on board, they all think he’s adorable and such a clever wee boy for flying such a big ship by himself.”

“Well, it’s true, he is,” Selene grinned.

“I heard that,” Alan butted in, obviously listening over the comms. “I’ve also heard that pilots these days are getting younger and younger and my cheeks have been pinched so much I think I’ve got nerve damage. But one lady did get me some toffees from her bag.”

Jeff suppressed a laugh, Selene didn’t. 

“Move over, Squirt, let the master take control,” Virgil ordered as Gordon secured the Pod, his hologram appearing next to Scott’s as he reclaimed his pilot's seat.

“Oh, look, Ted, it’s that nice young man who rescued us,” a quavering voice said.

“Isn’t he handsome?” an elderly lady could be heard over the comms. “Aye, if I were thirty years younger or he were five years older I’d be takin' a turn around the dance floor with him.”

“Help me,” Virgil mouthed, his hologram showing the fear on his face as the widowed lady behind him winked in his direction.

“Sending the coordinates now,” John interrupted, saving Virgil from his admirer.

“On our way!” Virgil yelped, moving Thunderbird Two in the right direction.

“Look, Molly, we’re moving!”

“I don’t want to look, I feel sick, Angus.”

“Uh oh,” Alan groaned as he moved to fetch a sick bag, just in case.

***

Jeff had done his best to hold his tongue throughout Virgil’s pick up of the missing McDonald's couple who were found stuck in their car, which had bottomed out in the flood water and conked out when water had invaded the engine. The car itself had probably been on its last legs too. According to Virgil, it was older than FAB Zero and almost rusted through. They were just lucky it had stayed in one piece while they had lifted it into Two’s Pod with the McDonald's inside.

Jeff had stopped himself from interrupting three times but when Virgil was arguing over the loudspeaker with the McDonald's, who refused to leave their car on the hillside, Selene had been forced to physically slap her hand over his mouth and glare him into submission. She didn't know if the boys had noticed any of the back at base drama that had been going on, but if they did they didn't let it phase them. She hoped that they knew they could trust her enough to keep Jeff from involving himself unnecessarily, because she was trying her best and they owed her, dammit. 

“I’ve located the last resident, a Major Campbell,” John announced over the comms. “His medical alert was switched off but I managed to bypass the system and wake it up remotely, he’s still in his house.”

“But I checked there! I knocked on the door for three minutes, he never answered,” Scott told them. 

“He could be hurt, maybe he couldn’t get to the door,” Gordon suggested.

“Are yer talking about the ol’ Major?” Angus asked.

“I suppose we are, yes,” Virgil answered him.

“Oh, ye willnae be getting no sense out of him, crazy as a coot he is.”

“Oh, no, he won’t open the door for anyone when he's in one o' his moods, not even you nice young men,” Virgil’s admirer finished.

“Thanks for letting us know,” Virgil smiled before turning back to his comms. “John, can you confirm?”

“One second,” John blinked out of sight, returning soon after. “Major Campbell is confirmed as suffering from diabetes and early stages dementia, his wife passed less than six months ago and he’s been receiving home nursing care but the storms of the last few days have made it difficult for them to reach him. It's in his notes that low blood sugar makes his dementia worse, leading to him becoming more confused and volatile.”

“I can’t go, Scott, I’ve got a full load here and need to drop them off before I do anything else,” Virgil regretfully informed them.

“It’s alright, I’ll go back and fetch him now that we know he’s there,” Scott said. His announcement was followed by a chorus of FAB's and the comms went silent apart from background chatter as everyone set about their designated tasks. 

“I guess they’ll all be home soon,” Selene sighed, standing up to stretch. “What do you think they would like to eat? They’ll be hungry, they always are.”

“I know Alan loves your pizza,” Jeff smiled.

“Alan likes them or you like them?”

“Well, I suppose if you made them I’d be able to force down a few slic-”

“This is Thunderbird One to Tracy Island.”

“Go ahead, Scott, are you finished already?”

“Not even close,” Scott sighed.

“What’s wrong?” Selene asked, sitting back down to give him her full attention.

“It’s the Major, he’s refusing to leave his home.”

“Can you not talk him out of there?”

“I’ve tried, but he says that he won’t abandon his post.”

“His post?” Selene was thoroughly confused.

“He won’t even answer to his name, he’s obviously confused but I don’t know how to get through to him.”

“Are none of his nurses available to help?”

“John’s talking to them now.”

“That’s a negative, Thunderbird One, all the nursing staff are currently attending to other residents, there is no one available.”

“So I’m on my own? Great.”

“Of course you aren’t, don’t be such a twat, it was only yesterday you were bitching that you were always surrounded by people. If I was you I’d be making the most of it,” Selene huffed.

“You know I didn’t mean that, I meant that there’s no one here that can help me,” he replied in that overly patient tone sales people get when they are trying to make a customer understand that they can’t use an expired coupon.

“What are we then? Useless?”

“No, of course not!”

“Then get your arse back down there and let us see what the hell is going on, three heads are better than one.”

Scott looked like he wanted to argue but knew when he was beaten.

“Can you take over the controls for me, thunderbird Five?”

“On it,” John replied. “Thunderbird One is slaved to my control.”

“Going EVA now,” Scott informed them.

***

“Come on Campbell, please open the door!”

“Negative, my orders were to defend this compound and defend it I will.”

“And my orders are to fetch you to safety. Allow me to do my job.”

“Nothing out ranks the Queen’s orders.”

“This isn’t about their majesties, this is about your safety, sir!” Scott banged on the door again, Mini MAX hovering over his shoulder beaming the feed back to Tracy Island.

“That’s what they all say and it’s always a plot to take our base. Well not this time. I’ve barricaded the doors and will be denying you access.”

“Sir, as I have explained to you three times already, this is a dangerous situation. You are in danger. The river had burst its banks and there is a flood that is heading this way. Your nurses can’t reach you and you cannot stay here.”

“Nurses? I don’t need no nurses. I’m wise to you, you just want me to abandon my post, well that won’t be happening. I have never been lax in my duty and I won’t start now.”

“Sir, this is not an army base, this is your home and you need to come with me. Please open the door.”

“No, I will not.”

Scott was clearly getting frustrated, they could see it in the tense line of his shoulders and the twitching of the little muscle in his jaw.

“Check the perimeter, Son, maybe you can find a way in,” Jeff suggested gently.

“Alright.” 

They watched Scott complete a circuit of the small cottage, but true to his word, Campbell had managed to block off every entry point, including the windows. There were nails hammered haphazardly into the window frames holding them shut and when MAX peeped in through the windows they could see that he had wedged kitchen chairs under all the door handles that led outside to prevent them being opened. For an old man with decreased mental capabilities he had certainly retained enough wits to effectively barricaded himself in.

“He certainly believes what he’s saying, doesn’t he?” Jeff mused.

“Yeah, he does,” Selene agreed, something pinging in her brain like a distant bell.

“Babe?” Selene called, trying to get John’s attention..

“Yes, honeybunch?” Scott answered.

“Not you, dumbass!” 

Scott sniggered to himself and Selene caught sight of Jeff's amused smirk. 

“Yes?” John answered, ignoring them as he so often did, nothing surprised him with them anymore. 

“You know I usually don’t ask you to do anything illegal…”

“Not while I’m working, no.”

“What was that?” Jeff demanded to know.

“Ignoring that for now, like putting it aside for later,” Selene hurried on, ”can you hack into his army records and find out some information about where and when he served?” 

“Of course, I’ll get EOS to do it while I’m in control of One.”

“Please, Mr Campbell,” Scott tried again, dropping the Major title as he seemed to be ignoring it anyway. “If you’d just allow me to come inside so I could show you that I'm genuine.”

“No! Go away or I’ll be forced to load up Brittany!”

“Brittany?” Gordon asked, clearly still listening in.

“I’ve no idea,” Scott admitted, “but it doesn’t sound good.”

“I’m warning you, I have a rifle and I’m not afraid to use it!”

“He has a gun?” Selene spluttered. “How the hell did he get that past the nurses?”

“We don’t know for sure if he even has one,” Jeff said, trying to keep her calm, aware that she could go off at any second into one of her dramatic tirades. “But either way, Scott has to be careful. Try reasoning with him again, Scott but don’t take any chances.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t,” Scott promised, returning to the window that he had backed away from the second the old man had made his announcement. /p>

“It’s no good,” Scott told them ten minutes later. Jeff and Selene had been busily flicking between the information EOS had dug up and Scott's running commentary as he alternated between calling to the man inside and circling the building in the hopes of spotting some kind of entrance way that he had missed.

“He’s not even replying to me now. I don’t know what else to do, I don’t want to force my way, in his state of mind he could do something drastic in self defence or it could give him a bad shock. I don’t know what to do.”

“Want me to come back to help?” Virgil asked over the comms. “We’ve just dropped the last of our passengers off.”

“I don’t know what use you’ll be, Thunderbird Two, but sure.”

“Actually,” Selene spoke up. “We’ve got an idea.”

“You do?” Scott asked.

“Yes, don’t sound so shocked!” Selene grumbled. “Virg, how quickly can you get here and back?”

“Less than an hour.”

“Is the Major safe enough to wait that long?” Selene asked.

“The rising water has slowed but the rain is still coming down,” John answered. “Although he should be fine, he’s pretty high up and the water isn’t that close.”

“Okay,” she nodded. “Virg, come home.”

***

“How did he do?” Selene asked Scott later that night after they had all showered, changed into dry clothes and been fed.

“He was amazing,” Scott admitted. “He did what we couldn’t, he got through to him.”

Selene handed him a cup of coffee. “Did the Major react as we predicted?”

Scott nodded, sipping his coffee. “The second he saw Dad in his uniform he stood to attention and opened the door for him. Dad went inside and spoke with him for a while, calming him down and then proceeded to give him his new orders, which was to accompany us to One.”

“Did he end up having a gun?”

“He did, but it was deactivated, it couldn’t have fired even if he had wanted it to. It was on his wall, along with a number of others, as a decoration according to the nurses.” 

“Was he alright on the journey to the hospital?”

“Yeah, Dad spoke to him the entire time while Gordon examined him, checked his blood sugar and gave him some insulin. Dad listened to his war story, he was in Iraq as you know and when we asked him how long he’d been in the service he said only three years, so his dementia had regressed him to quite early in his career as you suspected. He saw Dad as a superior officer where he wouldn't have accepted it from me.” Scott sighed, looking quite disheartened.

“Babe, stop. You did your best, you did all you could, but you know as well as I do that you can’t do everything. You’ve told me enough times that you’ve all had to learn to adapt to different situations and sometimes take a more unorthodox approach. You made the right decision today.”

“You figured it out though, we didn’t.”

“You would have, you know you would, but this worked out better. Jeff got a chance to see that he can be useful, that he can help when needed and that you can all work together. He just needed to find his place again.”

“It was really nice, Sel, to be out there with him.”

“So he behaved, then?”

“He did, he didn’t try to take over once. Virgil dropped him off as close as possible and I met him in the garden, we went up together. He did everything right, we worked together. We were a team. He didn't give orders, he offered suggestions."

“As it should be,” she smiled, pulling him in for a hug. “Now let’s get these coffees to the others so we can finish debrief. I want to get to bed at some point tonight.”

Scott grabbed a couple of mugs and the coffee pot while she took the rest, letting her lead the way.

“At least we know that you can all work together when you need to,” she commented as they started up the stairs.

“You just don’t want us invading your apartment any more,” Scott laughed.

“Of course I don’t, you snore like a train.”

She almost dropped a cup when he aimed a kick at her backside.

“Cheeky!”

“You love me really,” she grinned, dodging out of the way as they entered the lounge.

“Children, please,” Jeff sighed wearily, but there was a hint of amusement in his words and a sparkle in his eyes that hadn’t been there before.

Selene served up coffees and settled beside Gordon on the couch, listening with half an ear as everyone ran through the events of the day.

This was good, this was progress, she just hoped that it stayed that way.


	52. Gordon stirs the pot.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The thing that should be called "Gordon is a little s**t for an entire chapter.

"What are you two arguing about now?" Jeff asked as he walked in to find John and Selene surrounded by papers and Selene in the process of crossing something off a list. 

"Guest list," Scott supplied. 

"Obviously John has barely anyone to invite," Gordon continued. 

"I resent that," John muttered but couldn't actually deny it. 

"They want to keep it small so are whittling names off as best they can," Virgil finished. "Well, she is, he's trying to add names to his side."

"Comments from the peanut gallery are not needed," Selene huffed, tossing a ball of scrap paper at his head. "So, Troy has to be there at the reception," Gordon groaned but she plowed on, "but it's just close family and friends at the actual ceremony, we're agreed on that much." 

"Yes."

"Troy can bring George if he wants, and only one date, not two, I'm not having a cat fight go down."

"Agreed."

"Let me see," Gordon demanded, snatching the list. "Maybe I can think of someone to add to John's."

"I don't need your help, thank you, I'm fully aware of my own friends." He reached for the list but Gordon moved it out of the way. 

"Boring, boring, Conrad is cool, boring, Ned, boring, mega boring, Ridley?" he eyes grew wide as he glanced at his brother. "You're inviting Ridley?" 

"Uh oh," Scott whispered to Virgil, moving aside out of firing range. "Incoming."

"What's wrong with Ridley?" John wanted to know. 

Virgil, Gordon and Scott's eyes slid towards Selene who was busily scrolling through her phone to see who she had missed. She felt their stares and looked up. 

"What? Did I miss something?" 

"You've seen the list, right?" Gordon asked. 

"Of course I have."

"And you're OK with Ridley coming?" 

"Ridley? Sure, why not?" 

"Really?" Scott looked shocked. 

"Why wouldn't I be?" Selene looked a little worried now. "Is she a secret mass murderer that I don't know about?" 

"No," John snorted. "Of course not."

She shrugged. "Then I've got no problem, just don't let her…I don't know, dance with the punch bowl on her head." 

"Out of everything, a dancing punch bowl is what you went with?" Virgil laughed. 

"My brain is a bit busy right now, don't judge me, Muscles."

"But it's Ridley," Alan argued, catching the tail end of the conversation as he came in. 

"So what? She's his friend, they talk at least once a week. Men are allowed to have female friends you know."

"So you don't care that she and John were almost a thing?" Alan continued innocently, not seeing the warning glare from John. 

"We weren't a thing, she's my friend."

"Oh come on, you were totally into her, why else would you almost get yourself killed and Five smushed to save her life?" Gordon laughed. 

"Because that's what we do, we save lives. And I wasn't in to her, we we-" 

"You what now?" Selene's eyes narrowed dangerously, her mind catching up with her ears. 

"We weren't a thing," John promised her hurriedly, but guilt and a promise to never lie to her had him amending his statement. "Barely a thing, not even a half thing," he continued to ramble. "One kiss, maybe a tiny bit of flirting…" he trailed off. 

"Now look what you've done!" Virgil, glared at Gordon who shrugged, totally unrepentant.

"It would have come up at some point." He caused situations, he poked the bear, he stirred the pot, that was his main purpose in life. They all knew it, there was no denying it. 

"Explain," Selene continued to glare at John. 

"Think carefully, Son," Jeff warned from his desk where he was sitting, observing, watching the world burn as was his style, they didn't want him butting in, then he'd sit and watch…and probably laugh. 

"There's nothing to explain," John assured her. "We got on well, we are still good friends as you know, I think she might have wanted more but it didn't work out that way. The GDF changed her position, she was based elsewhere and I realised that I wasn't that bothered by it."

"Not that," she huffed, brushing his confession aside as if it were an annoying bug. "I meant the whole almost getting yourself killed. Explain."

"Oh that, it was nothing. There was a comet about to hit earth and Global one was in the way and would have been hit too, I called Ridley and told her to evacuate and get clear. I had to use Five to tow the ship out of the way."

"That's nothing? You had to tow her ship, like a recovery vehicle and you say it's nothing? What are you now, International tow trucks? Why risk Five?" 

"She didn't give me much of a choice, she didn't evacuate with her crew and I had to go get her. Save her, save her ship, that was the deal she gave me, I couldn't leave her there to die."

"So, let me get this straight," her voice had taken on a dangerous tone that even Scott wouldn't argue with. "Some space hussy flutters her eyelashes and basically blackmails you and you go running, putting yourself in danger because she's too dumb to do as she's told and get her arse out of the danger zone?" 

John paused for a second, debating how to answer, when she put it that way it did sound bad. Ridley had been reprimanded and demoted because of it but he'd not thought much more of it, they put themselves in danger every week. "Yes?" he hedged, not wanting to argue with her but also not knowing how not to either. 

"Dumbass," she yelled, smacking at his shoulder with a pad she'd grabbed off the table. "Never do that again or I'll kill you myself!" 

"Ow! No hitting!" 

"You deserve it! You almost got yourself killed!"

Gordon started to laugh, he couldn't help it. 

"This is all your fault," John glared at his brother, fending off another whap of the pad.

"So you don't care about the fact that they were almost a thing?" Gordon confirmed, wiping tears from his eyes. 

"Gordon, please shut up," John sighed, why did his family delight in making everything ten times harder for him? 

"Who is he marrying?" Selene demanded to know, not looking at Gordon as she tried to dodge John's hands to reach him with the pad.

"You," John answered, grabbing the pad and plucking it from her hand, which he took in his own, lacing their fingers. "Which is why we are having this very awkward conversation and you are resorting to violence. Well, that and my soon to be dead brother."

"Exactly. The past is the past, people have history, if you wanted to be with her you would be," she shrugged, extracting her hand from his.

"But I'm warning you now, you even dare to so much as think about doing anything that stupid again and I will not be responsible for my actions." She snatched the list off Gordon. "She's going on the table with my annoying cousins as punishment." She made a note on the list looking up with a challenging glare, daring John to argue, to see everyone staring at her again. 

"Why do you all keep looking at me like I'm an alien?" 

"They're just jealous," John grinned, sliding an arm around her waist and pulling her closer, thankful the awkwardness was over. Honestly, he hadn't known how she would react, most women would have kicked off big time. But he should have known better, she wasn't like most women, she knew they talked, she'd never had a problem with any of his friends, she knew he'd been with others before her and it had never been an issue. 

"I'm still mad at you," she warned him, batting at his arm. "Get off!" 

"Nope," he tightened his grip, leaning closer to risk stealing a kiss. He didn't get far as she blocked his lips with her hand. 

"I said piss off!" she giggled, trying and failing to stay mad at him. 

"No you didn't," Virgil laughed. 

"You're a weird woman, Sel," Scott laughed, shaking his head. 

"Yeah, but you love me really," she grinned, giving up the fight and allowing John to drag her closer still. 

He wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on her shoulder and sighed contentedly. This was how it should be, no jealousy, no stress between them other than wedding worries and definitely no secrets. Now he just had to find a way to tell her that he'd invited Ridley to her bachelorette party too. That was a job for another day, he wasn't that dumb to push his luck that much.


	53. Sad drunk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh lawd, she's been drinking with Grandma again...

“Alan said you we-” John stopped dead in the doorway of the library which had become wedding central, his eyes quickly scanning the scene before him. Was it too late to run away? Had she heard him?

Her head snapped up, her face scrunching up as she spotted him. He held his breath, surely it couldn't be that bad…

The noise she made was somewhere between a cat with its tail stuck in a door and a banshee that just stubbed its toe, her wail rattled the windows and almost shattered his ear drums. 

She was partially buried in a nest of fabric scraps and pictures ripped out of some very outdated looking magazines, an empty bottle of wine was halfway across the room and another - thankfully still half full - was lying nearby. 

She was looking at him, her eyes wide and full of tears that had yet to escape, her damp cheeks showing that this definitely wasn’t the first time tonight. Her arms were outstretched like a monster from one of those stupid horror movies she liked to watch with Scott, her hair hanging down around her face like she had just crawled out of a pit and she was reaching for him. 

He wasn’t a religious man but he had the sudden urge to cross himself. Selene was drunk, and a drunk Selene could go one of two ways. She was either the happiest - and horniest - person on the planet, telling everyone how much she loved them, singing, dancing, laughing and loving life before trying to seduce him anywhere and anyway she could, or she was a devastated mess. Yep, Selene in sad drunk mode was the stuff of nightmares.

He’d only seen her this way once before and he’d hoped to never suffer it again. When Alan had told him that Selene had weaved her way to the kitchen and retreated again with another bottle he’d hoped it was a giggly, snuggly time. It seemed that today was not that day. As soon as he'd realised it was wine she'd taken, not cider or beer his hopes had come crashing down around him. Give her a cocktail or give her a cider and she was fine. Give her beer which she didn't even like and she'd drink a few sips and give it to someone else, but give her wine and you were in for a world of trouble. 

Come on, you’re a Tracy, he scolded himself, trying to stop his feet from carrying him backwards to safety. You can do this, that’s your woman there and she needs you, even if she does look like a demonic mess. 

“Why do you hate me?” she screamed, snatching up handfuls of fabric, first to throw in his general direction and then to shove her face into as she collapsed forward in a sobbing heap.

“What? Why would I hate you?” he dodged the fabric projectiles instinctively even though they flopped uselessly before they even made it a quarter of the way. What was she talking about? Had she been that desperate for a hug that his pausing had made her think that way? 

“Because you asked me to marry you!” she accused, her voice muffled and stuffy as she spoke through a layer of cloth and snot.

“And that means I hate you?” Confusion, thy name is John Tracy. Call him old fashioned, but he'd been brought up to believe that if you asked someone to marry you it was because you loved them and wanted to spend the rest of your life with them, not because you hated them and were in to self torture. 

"Yessss," she wailed, her shoulders heaving with each racking sob.

He had to do something, he couldn't just leave her there and walk out no matter how much the idea appealed to him. He had to man up. Remembering his father's advice to always protect your balls, he edged forward and quickly sat down beside her, crossing his legs to cover his sensitive area. 

"Sweetheart?" 

She ignored him to cry some more. 

He laid a hand gently on her shoulder, sighing in relief when she didn't pull away. "Why are you crying, love?" Apart from the fact that you and my Grandma had too much to drink, he thought, although he wasn't stupid enough to voice that out loud. 

"Because it sucks!" 

"What sucks?" 

"Everything!" 

"I'm going to need specifics," he said gently, stroking her shoulder softly, soothing the snarling beast. 

"Everything is going wrong and it's pissing me off!" 

"Everything wedding related, or just in general?" 

"Everything wedding! I can't trust anyone! Mum insisted we needed flowers yet the florist posted a picture of the mock ups on her website so we had to cancel the order, Grandma said we had to have a cake because it's bad luck otherwise and you know I don't mess with bad luck or superstitions-" she paused to interrupt herself, gasping for air as she cried so violently he could barely understand her words.

"The cake has been leaked because I didn't want fruit cake, I wanted chocolate and vanilla and now I'm crazy and talking of bad luck," she paused again, blowing her nose on a fabric scrap which she dropped on the floor when she had finished. John picked it up carefully between two fingers and tossed it in the trash can, not wanting that left around. 

"Talking of bad luck?" he prompted. 

"There are so many things that are bad luck if you don't have them! And Grandma knows them all!" 

He smothered a laugh, feeling she'd hit him if he laughed right then. "Yeah, she would." 

"And all of them say that if we don't do them we'll be doomed to a shitty marriage and a shitty life and you'll never love me and go running off with the first available person and leave me to care for our seven children, three dogs, twelve cats and the parrot."

John blinked.

"That's a lot of pets." 

"You didn't deny the fact that you're expecting me to pop out kids like I'm shelling peas and when I'm all fat and tired, more fat and tired that I am now that is, you're going to leave me for someone else because I'll be the size of a house as opposed to the small barn I resemble now. " 

"Yes, because I meet so many people in my line of work, I'm such a social butterfly." He felt the shoulder under his hand tense and realised that maybe sarcasm wasn't the best plan. 

"Sweetheart, I have no idea where all of this has come from." 

She sniffled and gulped but the tears seemed to be lessening. He took that as a good sign but she was still curled in a ball on the floor, face down in a pile of scraps so it wasn't exactly progressing at the rate he'd like.

"You know we've talked about kids and decided that we don't want any, or at least not for a very long time."

"I'm still not hearing you denying the possibility of you running off with some hussy because I'm a heffer!" 

"I thought I just did?"

"Noooooo," she wailed and the tears started again. Shit! What did he do now? 

"You know you're not fat, you're beautiful. What can I do to help? What else is wrong?" 

"I just told you! I thought you were the one that listens? I specifically picked the best Tracy and you're letting yourself down here."

"I don't think you had much of a choice when it came to browsing the family album for a potential husband."

"I should have picked Virgil," she whined. 

"Probably," he agreed, "but don't let Scott hear you say that, he'll be so disappointed that he's not you back up any more."

"But he's an idiot!" 

"I…I can't argue that one."

"Why is everything so hard? Pagans don't have all these silly superstitions and things you just have to have, we turn up in a field, we exchange vows, we jump a broom for fertility, we light a bonfire, we have some food and we go home and fuck. What's not to like?"

"The need for a bonfire?" 

"There is always a need for a bonfire," she hissed like a scalded cat and he realised then that he might need to stop trying to make a drunk woman be logical. It wasn't something she did at the best of times and this certainly wasn't one of them. 

He tucked his hands under her arms and tried to drag her onto his lap but she was now in full on stubborn bitch mode and had turned into a lump of immovable granite. He settled for dragging her closer although she was still face down and in a ball. 

"What would make this better?" 

"They are bullying me into including all this stuff we don't need, things we don't want, what even is a jello bar and why do we need one?" 

"Erm…I don't know, so the answer is probably that we don't." 

"They say we do! And apparently it's bad luck to make your own dress, why did no one tell me this when they suggested it? And what if I can't design shit? Why is everything that seems to fix a problem, designed to create a new one?" 

"You aren't making your dress, Grandma is and whatever you pick will make you look more beautiful than ever."

"What if I pick something she doesn't like? What if she thinks it's slutty but doesn't tell me? Then she'll be judging me all day and I'll embarrass her and my Mum. Look at all this! Look at them!" She sat up long enough to grab handfuls of fabric off the floor and toss them over her shoulder in his general direction before slumping back down again."I don't like any of them, we ordered samples of every wedding fabric known to mankind and they all suck!" 

"Grandma doesn't judge-" 

Selene snorted in disbelief. 

"Grandma wouldn't judge you," he amended. "She adores you. And who says you have to pick wedding fabric? Pick any fabric you want. When have we ever been traditional? Just have fun with it."

"That doesn't help the rest of the problems. Gods, I miss my Dad. I have no one to walk me down the aisle I don't even want and no one to give me away even though I am not property and it's an outdated concept."

"We'll work it out, I promise. You don't have to do this alone, I keep saying I'll help."

"You don't have time!" 

"I am the master of multitasking, I can help, let me help, I want to help, it's my wedding too."

"Tell that to the rest of the world," she huffed. 

John sighed, he had absolutely no idea what to say. It had seemed so simple, he loved her, he wanted to marry her, they wanted a small wedding, perfect. But then their parents had gotten involved and her father had passed away, the press had decided they were their unofficial wedding documenters, his father had been a bossy nightmare and everything had gone from bad to worse. He'd never seen her so stressed. She was usually someone that sailed through life making zero plans if she could help it, now she was faced with a million decisions and every time they planned something it was leaked or criticised. OK, so, thinking about it he could understand why she was a little upset. He needed to remind her why they were doing this. 

"Why are we getting married?" he asked. 

"Because you asked me! We've been through this."

"And why did I ask you?" he continued patiently, his fingers doodling soothing little patterns on her back. 

"Because you're an idiot!" 

"No," he insisted, although he was beginning to doubt his intelligence in not whisking her away to Vegas. "Because I love you."

"Stupid."

"This coming from the person who said yes," he didn't take her comments to heart, he never did. She paused for a few seconds, sniffing loudly before she answered. 

"Because I love you."

"Exactly." Now that she was calmer and seemed to have stopped crying again he risked getting a little closer, rolling her onto her side so she was no longer buried face down. 

"It's just so hard. They hate me!" 

"First it was me, now it's others. Who hates you now?" He brushed the hair back from her face, gently teasing out the damp tangles with his fingers. 

"Everyone, the whole world."

"The whole world? That's a lot of people, I highly doubt they could all hate you. " 

"I can't do anything right, I go small and it's wrong and reported that I don't know what I'm doing, I let Grandma go big and suddenly I'm a Bridezilla. If I pick traditional I'm boring, if I pick unique I'm accused of mocking tradition and being disrespectful. I don't want any of this." She shifted to the side, her arm reaching for the abandoned bottle but he snagged it before she could, putting it aside. 

"No more wine for you, you don't even like it."

"It's Grandma's fault, she brought in the first bottle, got me so scared by all the plans and then left and went to bed once the bottle was empty, that's when I went and got my own."

She sighed softly when his fingers began to absently massage the back of her neck, her tense shoulders relaxing a little. 

"Sweetheart, you don't have to do this, you don't have to try to please everyone. The only people that matter here are you and I."

"I know."

"And you should also know that you are perfect, everything about you is perfect, whatever you pick will be perfect and anyone who doesn't think so doesn't matter, their opinions don't matter."

"I used to believe that."

"All that matters is that I love you."

"So you say, but it seems like many other things do indeed matter."

There was nothing he could say to that so John fell silent, wracked his brains for an answer to their problem but for once his brain let him down, he couldn't think of anything. It was just a shame they couldn't get away with letting Grandma and Selene's mother plan everything and elope at the last minute but they would never hear the end of it, it would upset too many people and they didn't want that. It was ironic, when he thought about it, they had the money to have the biggest, most expensive Hollywood dream wedding ever but they didn't want it, yet there were people out there who couldn't afford to have a special day. He suddenly sat up straighter, his brain pinging with the seed of an idea. 

"I think I might have a solution to the situation," he started. "It's going to be unconventional and it's going to involve a lot of sneaking around and planning behind people's backs, but that will all be on me. All you need to do is concentrate on the details of the handfast and your dress, I'll sort everything else."

He heard a muffled huff of disbelief but gamely continued. 

"I promise you, I'll make it work, will you trust me?" 

He waited for her to answer. And waited some more. She huffed again, but this time it was accompanied by a noise that sounded suspiciously like a snore. 

He rolled her over onto her back like she was a bug. Yep, she was out. 

He sighed. 

"So much for making you feel better with my grand plan."

He got to his feet and tried to wiggle his hands under her to lift her into his arms but she was a dead weight. He had no other choice, it wouldn't be dignified but it was all he could do. 

"I meant what I said," he said, continuing their one sided conversation as he arranged her limbs in a better position. "I'm going to fix this, you just have to trust me."

He knelt down, took a firm hold of her arms. "Up you come," he insisted as he heaved her across his shoulders in a fireman's carry. 

"I'll tell you all about it in the morning, when you've sobered up a bit."

He staggered to his feet, managing to take her with him without dropping her and began the slow journey to their bedroom. 

"Get married, they said, it'll be great they said. They know nothing."

"John? What the heck are you doing?" Virgil appeared as if by magic in the hall, staring at the sight of his brother dragging his fiancée around like a sack of potatoes. 

"Don't ask," he huffed, shifting her to get a better grip. "Just don't ask."

Virgil lifted his hands in a gesture of innocence and backed away, allowing his brother to pass. 

"This house gets crazier by the day," he muttered, continuing his journey to the kitchen for another cup of coffee.


	54. Hiding in the Shadows

Money is power, that's what they say and that's what they all believe. Those that have it think they rule the world, believe that they have all the power, that they have the right to make all the decisions and to get their own way in every situation. Something isn’t going your way? Throw money at it. Someone has something you want? Buy something bigger and better to prove that you are the superior person. Money and wealth, they equate to worth. If you are poor you are deemed worthless, expendable, not to be given the time of day. 

But he knows different. He knows that money is an illusion, you can lose it quicker than you can earn it and that there are some things that even money cannot save you from.

Knowledge, knowledge is the true power. Knowledge is the cornerstone of everything in life. Without knowledge there is no purpose. Money cannot buy you intelligence, money is not a substitute for ambition, money can make you weak, lazy and easily led. 

For him knowledge is everything. He desires to have every piece of information at his fingertips and he is not afraid to ruthlessly exploit that knowledge for his own gain.

In every bad situation he’s ever been in, his knowledge, his intelligence, had been the thing to get him out of it. The only person he could ever truly rely on was himself.

His nimble fingers flew over the virtual keyboards, eyes darting from holoscreen to holoscreen, reams of numbers scrolling past at a phenomenal rate. Pictures rolled with them, interspersing the lines of code and random snippets of information that only made sense to him. 

This was his power hub, this was his castle in the clouds, set apart from society, observing, cataloguing, engineering but never a part of. He was a spectre, a ghost, someone that people whispered about but never saw, so much so that people often questioned if he existed at all. 

He’d lived a good chunk of his life being invisible but now it was on his own terms.

***

He pressed himself tighter into the corner, in a gap between the bookcase and the wall, the darkness surrounding him, swallowing him, wrapping around him in a protective embrace. He felt safe here, safe away from the taunts and the cruel words that were forever being fired at him, away from the feet that stuck out to ‘accidentally’ trip him over, the fists that seemed intent on connecting with various parts of his body on an almost daily basis.

He was quiet, too quiet and they didn’t like that, they saw it as a weakness which he supposed it was. He'd been used to the jibes and cruel comments that came his way at school and the judgemental whispers that followed them down the street, but none of that had mattered because she had been there with him and she made everything better. Until that day when she wasn’t there anymore and he was left alone.

He was a weakling, an easy target, one to be battered and bruised by words and actions, left to pick up the pieces. It had been easier to start hiding away during their free periods than it had been to fight them off. Making himself smaller, more invisible. Hiding in the shadows had become his new normal. He missed the comforting embrace of her arms, he missed her soft voice and gentle smile, her promises that everything would be okay because they had each other. But nothing had been okay and it never would be again. Because she was gone.

He had retreated into his own head, living in his own mind, creating a fantasy world that was easier to live in than the real world around him. His mind was his most powerful weapon, he knew that by improving his mind he would improve his future, so he devoted himself to his studies. This did not endear him to the others.

He liked to sit and watch people, to see what made them tick. It was self preservation for him. He had become adept at sensing people’s moods and their intentions, knowing when to run and hide before the bad things happened, just as he was right at that moment.

The door had creaked open, the light from the hallways spilling inside and once again he had retreated into the shadows that were his only friends, holding his breath, waiting, watching, always on alert.

The two that stumbled in didn’t surprise him, but what they were doing did. They shared the bottle between them, giggling like teenage girls, not the boys that they actually were. Their voices as they whispered had a higher pitch than normal, their muffled laughter almost verging on hysterical.

They hadn’t spotted him, but then he hadn't expected them to, no one ever did unless he was walking past them, then they saw him alright.

Without stopping to debate the wiseness of his actions he shifted as slowly and quietly as he could and raised the phone in his hand, silently filming the action.

The two finished off the bottle quickly, gulping until they were breathless and looking like they were about to pass out.

“Shit,” one slurred, staring at the empty bottle in his hand. “We need to hide this.”

“Crap,” the other mumbled, echoing his sentiment. They were barely able to stand but the sudden fear on their faces was enough for him to know that they weren't just indulging in some underage drinking but something else too.

“Come on, let's get out of here before the final bell.”

“Right behind you!”

They stumbled out of the room and the door slammed shut behind them leaving him alone in his hiding place. He waited a few minutes to make sure they weren't coming back before he dared to play back the video. Perfect, he’d caught it all. He didn’t know why, but it seemed important and he wanted it.

He waited, he was good at waiting. It took four days before the answer made itself known. They were all assembled in the dining hall, kept behind after breakfast, where the master spoke to them.

“Someone believed they had the right to enter my office, my private space, and help themselves to my whiskey. My private item, something that they are not old enough for, nor entitled to. Someone thought they knew better, someone thought they were better than everyone else and could do as they pleased. They were wrong.”

Every child in the orphanage sat with their heads bowed, not daring to make eye contact and he did the same. Most did it out of fear, fear that they would be accused of this crime, but he did it out of fear that the knowledge he held on his phone would somehow shine out of his eyes and give him away. His heart was pounding with excitement, so hard that he was sure those around him could hear it and it would draw attention to him, yet no one did. 

Tanner and Martin were two of the biggest bullies in the home and they didn’t care who knew it, they feared no one but the master in front of them. Master ruled them not with physical punishments which the state did not allow but with mental ones, extra work, the taking away of privileges, the fear of their permanent record and the fear that he would tell future foster and adoptive parents of their transgressions. No one wanted to risk the chance of getting out of the hell hole they were forced to call home. 

He knew that they had not been sick a few days previous, that they hadn't been suffering from a virus as they claimed, but the symptoms of the common effects of drinking to excess.

“Someone here knows the truth and I strongly suggest that they step forward, either to turn themselves in or to tell me, in confidence, who is responsible. You have twenty four hours to do the right thing otherwise every single one of you will suffer the punishment as if you had done it yourself. Do I make myself clear?” A chorus of ‘yes, Sir’ echoed around the hall before he dismissed them.

He knew what he should do, he should take his phone and his evidence to Sir and save himself and everyone else there the punishment they did not deserve. That was the right thing to do. But a little voice in his head told him such actions would be foolish. If Tanner and Martin ever found out it was him they would make life even more miserable for him than it already was. 

He took himself away from everyone to think things through as thoroughly as he could but the way he saw it, he clearly had but three options. The first was to do nothing and suffer the punishments along with the rest of the home for he knew that Tanner and Martin would never own up on their own. He could tell sir and risk a far worse punishment at the hands of Tanner and Martin when they found out, and they would find out, nothing ever stayed a secret in this place. Or, option number three, the hardest one but the one that might, just might, prove to be the one with the most rewards.

He would have to be brave, he would have to push aside all fear, the fear that had been his constant companion for the past five years since he had lost his mother. Could he do it? Could he be brave enough to take a gamble on himself? Could he be brave enough to stick it out and see it through to the end? He wanted to be, oh how he wanted to be. 

There comes a time in everyone's life when they have to stand up for the little guy, and in this situation the little guy was himself. 

Mind made up, determination riding him, he made his move.

It was surprisingly easy in the end, he stayed strong, he was determined and above all, he was serious. Like most bullies they were physically strong but mentally weak and the power had shifted almost instantly in his favour. They knew that he held their future in his hands and it was glorious. They had no choice but to accept his terms. Do as he said, protect him and he would never release the video to Sir from its place in the cloud.

His life in the orphanage changed that day, he made sure of it. He had had a taste of what it was like to get the upper hand over someone who had made his life a misery and now he wanted that same thing from others. 

He didn’t stop there, he knew the truth now, knew how to bend people to his will. You didn't need to rule with fear as so many seemed to think, you didn't need to be physically superior, all you needed was to use your brain.

He was adept at going unnoticed, gathering his ammunition, uncovering the secrets that everyone seemed to have. He believed that everyone, everywhere had something to hide and he was determined to discover them all. Hiding in the shadows as he was inclined to do had afforded him a degree of anonymity. People never noticed he was there, he was practically invisible to almost all of the staff and the students that weren’t the bruizer bully type. His small height, weedy frame and less than average looks made him forgettable, never worth a second look. He was ignored, looked passed as if he wasn’t even there. And this worked to his advantage, people spoke freely in front of him, ignorant of his presence and as such he had a large assortment of secrets and scandals secreted away in his brain just waiting to be used to his advantage. And use them he did, he forced their hand, changed their thinking and held them in the palm of his hands. He had the ultimate power over them all and was ruthless in his exploitation of it.

He commanded their respect now, he was the one in charge. He no longer feared walking down the corridors of the home, now he held his head high. He was a king, a leader, the highest atop the totem pole and he loved it. He took full advantage of his new position, honing his skills.

He surrounded himself with lackeys that were more than willing to do his bidding, just happy to ride on the coattails of his success and get a tiny sniff of his power. He had become popular, surrounded by people, caring not a jot that they were there through fear of him rather than any real desire or enjoyment of his company. He kept a few trusted cohorts by his side, rewarding them well with the spoils of his labours, keeping them safe and allowing them free reign to do as they pleased without consequence, such was the perks of being in his inner circle.

He developed a reputation amongst the other children, known for his ruthlessness, cruelty and willingness to do whatever it took to get his own way. He realised that he had gone from being bullied to being a bigger bully himself, but he found it hard to care. He felt no remorse for it. He had suffered all his life and wasn’t prepared to go back to that again. Ruling by fear was the only way to get respect, being the bully was infinitely preferable to being the victim. The world needed bullies, he realised this now. Without bullies the world had no order to it. Lawmakers and officials, bosses that underpaid their workers, billionaires, corporate lawyers, they were just bigger bullies than the little people that they believed themselves to be superior to. He wasn’t prepared to be left behind to be downtrodden and controlled ever again.

Four times he had been fostered with the view of possible adoption and four times he had been returned. Four times in ten years that he had called that place home. That soulless, cold, rundown hell hole of a place where he had been in charge. Each time he was returned, usually with tales of his behaviour, his abuse of his younger ‘siblings’ and the tormenting of family pets, his cold nature and need for control.

Each time he had returned he had found that someone had had the notion to slip into his top spot which he simply would not stand for. Each time he came back meaner than ever and slapped them back into line. He was someone with nothing to lose and he had grown the biggest balls of them all. He was afraid of nothing and no one, and that little fact made him the scariest monster most of them would ever meet.

His reign as big fish in his little pond came to an abrupt halt the day after his eighteenth birthday when he was unceremoniously tossed out on his own into the big wide world.

He found himself friendless, lackeyless and almost penniless too. This didn’t bother him too much, he’d been in worse situations and he was confident that he could get out of it. He still had his greatest asset after all, his mind and pure determination to succeed.

Five years after he had been released by the state he was sitting pretty in a modest but upmarket apartment in a nice area of the city with enough money in the bank to live comfortably. That was all he needed, for material possessions held little appeal to him. He didn’t care about money, he didn’t care about designer clothes in his wardrobe or an expensive car, none of that would have suited him anyway. He had gained a few inches taking him to a perfectly normal height of five foot seven, his frame had filled out a little with regular meals that he actually enjoyed, giving him just the hint of a rounded belly and he had retained his less than average looks. Anything fashionable or flashy would have looked strange on him, drawing attention to him, like he was trying too hard, and that he didn’t want. All he cared about was power, position and the future.

He had worked hard, learning all he could, honing his skills, perfecting his craft, tuning his mind to its highest point, his skills unmatched by anyone he had ever known. He could talk his way into anywhere, gain the confidence of anyone, beguile and bedazzle them into thinking his opinion was the only way to think. He could befuddle their minds, controlling their thoughts, their actions, even their memories. 

His approach was simple, why mess with the perfect formula? He picked his target and made it his business to get involved in theirs. Technology had always been a passion of his, computers his best friends and he used his considerable skills to aid him in his work. He hadn’t met a server he couldn't hack, a file, network, computer, tablet, phone or cloud that he couldn’t infiltrate. He dug deep, he turned every stone, he squirreled away every nugget of information that he found and then he exploited it mercilessly. Some ‘favours’ he called in immediately, others he left owing, hanging over his debtors like the sword of Damocles, ready to fall at any time.

He had many people from many walks of life in his pocket, all their debts totalled up in his ledger like money in the bank. Politicians, officials, businessmen and women, celebrities, criminals, law enforcement and everything in between. Anyone with a hint of power, that had their fingers in any pies, he wanted a slice of. 

Knowledge was power, and power was something he very much liked having. He stuck to the shadows, a ghost, a phantom, his identity buried under aliases, false trails, fabricated paperwork and his ability to slip in and out of almost anywhere completely unnoticed.

He preferred to work alone, but even he knew that there were times when such things could not be avoided. For the advancement of position and the gaining of power one needed to take out those that were above you. You cannot climb a ladder that someone else is on and that meant that now and then you had to work your way up to where they were and mercilessly toss them from their rung so you can take their place.

The more information he had, the more loyalty it insured and he knew exactly who to trust and who not to. From his old life, his time back in the orphanage, he kept in contact, on his own terms of course, with only two people, a pair of adopted siblings who had met in a foster home and been moved to his orphanage a year later. They had bonded together , seeing themselves as closer than blood and been very pleased to be moved together. They had become his most trusted associates on one of the times he had returned to reclaim his crown. Pippa and Clarence weren’t the sharpest tools in his box but they were enthusiastic and Pippa especially had a cruel streak that meant they very rarely argued when a more extreme order was given to them.

He contacted them when he had use of them, leaving them to their own devices when he did not, and it was during one of those down times that they had fallen in with a secretive terrorist known only as The Hood, a man almost as secretive as himself, although he was a little too fond of the spotlight for his liking.

He'd heard about this man's exploits, his position in the criminal world was almost legendary, someone that many others aspired to be like, but to him he was simply another person that was taking up a rung on the ladder he was scaling. 

The Hood was thinking too small, he was more concerned with wealth and revenge, the taking out of International Rescue. That was not for him. He wanted power, he didn't want to be yet another rich man in a world of rich men, he wanted the world itself. He wanted the ultimate power but without the limitations that came with it. Politicians and money ruled the world, they controlled it, but they never stayed in power for long. Public opinion and public favour could swing back and forth in a heartbeat, you could be on top of the world one minute and cast aside in disgrace the next. He wasn't prepared to risk all his hard work being for nothing. He was happy to remain in the shadows, the puppet master that controlled everything and everyone from the background, safe, protected, but holding the ultimate power. 

The Hood was just another power position to take out and the best way to do that was infiltration. He would take over from the inside. 

***

Information poured from his computer banks like water down a river, flowing from a thousand different sources, all culminating in one spot, him.

He'd watched and observed long enough, he'd seen how International Rescue worked, how they operated while out rescuing people, but beyond that he had drawn a blank. Their security had surprised him, it was second to none, impenetrable, locked down tighter than anything he'd ever seen. Even he could not break through. 

But, as he was well aware, there was more than one way to get information, more than one way to take out the competition, he would find a weak link and exploit it. 

They backed up the government, they shored up their defences, they protected the little people, yet they were regulated by no one. They were their own entity, their own boss and answered only to themselves. They were an island, hidden away from the world almost as surely as he was, yet everyone knew their names. 

He'd heard the stories of the mysterious fifth Tracy that no one ever saw, the eye in the sky, the voice that answers, the one that protected all their secrets. Try as he might he couldn't break through, he couldn't find any information, not until the day that social media had gone crazy with the announcement that the unknown Tracy had stepped into the spotlight with a woman on his arm. 

Instantly his incoming feeds from every informant he had had buzzed with information about her, but it was all second hand from other sources. Her files were locked down as tight as theirs, her social media accounts rerouted through a number of very secure servers just as theirs were and he could find nothing about her that wasn't in the public eye on their terms. They were good, he'd give them that. But he was better and he was determined to use whatever means necessary to achieve his goal. He had news stations, gossip journalists, paparazzi and websites all at his disposal. He used bribery and extortion as currency. He'd get them, eventually. 

Take out the Tracy that was in charge of their Internet security and he could get close enough to the rest, including the legendary Kayo, head of security for International Rescue and the prize he had in his sights. 

Patience was a virtue and he was good at waiting, he'd been doing it all his life.


	55. Nothing Is Ever Simple

"You would if you loved me." 

Selene sighed, a deep, put-upon sigh. "I do love you, but I draw the line at scratching your butt for you, never gonna happen."

He pouted. She was weakening, she could feel it, a pout partnered with those dimples could charm the pants off a nun. 

"You said you'd help me with anything I needed, you promised," he lifted his aircast covered wrist pathetically, as if she might have forgotten just how banged up he actually was. 

"Yes, yes I did." 

And at the time she had meant it, gods, did she mean it. She would have done anything, bargained with any being, anything, just to make sure he was OK. That was all she cared about. 

***

It was supposed to be a standard rescue, nothing out of the ordinary, just a stranded mountain climber who'd had a problem with her equipment after venturing out without a guide party, fallen into a ravine and needed help to get out and back to base camp. A five minute job. Get in, get out. Done. 

How she wished it had gone that way. Scott had spotted the climber easily enough, exactly where John had said she'd be, although she was in such a tight space Scott had been forced to abandon One and go EVA. 

It should have been so simple. He’d swooped in, reached out for the climber and then everything had gone to shit. 

Through the comms and Scott's helmet cam they had seen the hiker panic, her arms flailing as she first reached for him, clawing desperately at his uniform and then having a change of heart and fighting him off. They had heard her screaming fear, followed by Scott's muffled yelp of pain as her fist had connected with his stomach.

He'd succeeded in getting his arm around her middle, and she'd reached out for him in return, clutching at his back, but the second he'd tried to lift her out she'd morphed into a wildcat. He'd backed off instantly but the damage had been done, she'd lost her grip on the handle of her ice pick and slid down another foot before she'd caught herself. 

"She's being difficult," he'd sighed. "I'm going to try and reason with her, if not I might have to try something else."

"Just be careful, Scott," Jeff had warned him. "You know how some of these rescuees can be, often they are more dangerous than the situation itself."

"Don't I know it," Scott muttered as he steered himself closer. "Miss, I'm here to help, just try to calm down and hold still and I'll have you down in just a few minutes."

He inched closer, not wanting to spook her. She was in a precarious position, having fallen down a ravine. She had managed to use her ice axe to slow her descent and had wedged her knee into a gap which, combined with her back being flat against the other side, had succeeded in holding her in place, preventing her from falling further. 

He'd had no choice but to flatten himself against the icy ground. 

"Here," he stretched out an arm, reaching as deep as he could go. "Take my hand." 

He reached for the hand she hesitantly offered, stretching up to meet him. His fingers brushed hers, just a little bit more. He curled his hand around hers, securing his grip… 

They heard Scott’s shocked yell as he was blasted up into the air, his dangling arm wrenched away from her, hitting rock as he was jolted backwards. He shot sideways, unable to stop himself, his helmet cam showing the incoming ice wall. 

His body hit the solid surface with a sickening thud and a heavy grunt, the feed picture going fuzzy as Scott bounced off the ice like a pinball. They saw the rush of sky and ice for a second as he fell, followed by a muffled thump as he came to a stop. 

"Scott!" 

"SCOTT!" 

"Son!" 

A trio of voices yelled through the comms as John, Virgil and Jeff all reacted at once. Selene didn't, she was silent, as silent as Scott, shocked to her core. 

The only sound that could be heard was John's voice echoing around the lounge as he first demanded and then pleaded with Scott to respond. 

In an echo of the horror they had felt when Gordon had activated his emergency code and then gone silent, they were once again left not knowing what had happened to someone they loved. 

Virgil was on his feet in an instant, heading for his launch chute and Gordon rushed to his own, calling that he'd meet him in Two. 

Without Scott there it fell to Jeff to take command of the crew still on the ground while Selene went to find Alan, Grandma and Brains, knowing they would want to be included. 

By the time she returned to the lounge John had managed to hone in on Scott's location, sending a drone from One to give them an uninterrupted feed of the area. Although Scott's helmet cam was still broadcasting, the image was fixed on the ground, showing nothing but ice and hard rock. 

Scott lay crumpled on a ledge, which had somehow, miraculously, broken his fall, preventing him from falling hundreds of feet down to the ground below. 

"His vitals are stable," John assured them, keeping up a running commentary, likely in an effort to keep himself calm as much as he was his family. "Virgil is twenty-nine minutes out, he'll be okay, his suit will protect him from any exposure to the weather and it's still transmitting his readouts so I know he's not in any immediate danger as long as he doesn't move."

Alan sank down on the couch beside her, grabbing her hand, holding it tightly in a bruising grip but she wouldn't dream of telling him to ease up. 

"There's nothing we can do for Scott right at this moment," Jeff admitted, his tone as strong as he could make it but still showing the fear they all felt, "and we have a duty of care that we cannot ignore. John, can you check on the climber and reassure her that we have another team on the way and we'll get her out and to safety as soon as possible?"

"Already on it."

John piloted the drone away from Scott and up to the crevice in which the climber was stuck, maneuvering it in closer. 

"Huh, that's odd."

"What is, Son?" 

"I can't find the climber, she's gone."

"She can't be, that's impossible."

"Running scans now."

They were silent as John searched the mountain for her, piloting the drone methodically around the area.

"There's no sign of her, she's vanished. I've checked down in the crevice, I've checked the area around the mountain in case she fell like Scott, I've scanned for life signs and organic matter but found absolutely nothing. It's like she never existed." 

"Is there any way she could have gotten down on her own?" Selene asked, breaking her silence. 

John shrugged. "I honestly don't know, I'd assume that if that had been the case she wouldn't have called us in the first place, or that if she has managed, she would have let us know."

"Have you tried calling her back?" 

"Three times, the number is disconnected now and the phone signal is dead."

"Then what can we do?" Alan asked. "We can't just leave her there, she could die."

"I'm not suggesting we leave her," John insisted, "I've alerted Kayo to divert and join the search and I'll keep doing all I can from here."

"Keep checking her phone, John, you never know. But until then Scott is our priority. Virgil, how far out are you?" Jeff asked, addressing the portraits from which four holograms were hovering, John's, Virgil and Gordon in Two's cockpit and the feed from Scott's helmet cam which had now been switched to show the inside of his helmet and his face. The drone feed was shining from the center of Jeff's desk where he still sat. 

"Five minutes, Dad, we're almost there, we're just crossing over Finland and should be in Norway within two minutes. Going by the terrain and the drone feed we're going to have to configure a pod and take it down the mountain while leaving Two in the air the same as One is. I'll have to engage autopilot because I'm going with Gordon." His tone brooked no argument, not that any of them would have tried to stop him, he was their first responder paramedic and Scott would need all the help he could get. 

Gordon had the pod ready before they even reached their destination, knowing that every second counted in a situation like this, and so they were able to move the moment they arrived. 

John gave over the control of One to Alan, which gave him something to focus on, and slaved Two to his own control, making sure that it was looked after but could be brought in in a second if it was needed. 

Virgil and Gordon chose to take the explorer pod, one designed to cover all manner of terrains, driving it directly out of the module and onto the side of the mountain with John holding Two perfectly steady until they were away before taking her back to a safe distance. 

Those stuck back at base and in space, forced to watch through nothing but slightly grainy holograms and crackling comm lines, waited anxiously for news, holding their breath, hardly daring to think about the outcome if it was bad news. 

Please let him be OK, please let him be OK, I'll do anything, just please, let him be OK, Selene prayed silently, repeating the same words over and over again in her head as they sat with their eyes glued to the holofeeds, watching intently as Virgil and Gordon eased the pod vehicle across the frozen ground until they reached the side of the mountain. 

The pod lifted up on its legs, the cabin tipping backwards as the runner tracks secured their grip and started their descent down to the ledge that had broken Scott's fall. 

As they watched, eyes wide, hearts thumping in their chests, Virgil controlled the vehicle perfectly as it eased its way down the slippery ice wall. They drove down as far as he could then left it suspended above the ledge where Virgil and Gordon were forced to climb out, unable to go any further. Securing a line from the pod with a stretcher and their medical kits they gave word to John to lower them down to their fallen brother. 

Once down they worked quickly wasting no time in starting to assess, Gordon fitting a med scanner to his back to monitor his vitals while Virgil used another to scan for any injuries that might prevent them from moving him. 

"He's breathing," Gordon announced and those watching let out a collective sigh of relief to have it confirmed even though John had already told them his life signs were stable. There was just something about seeing it first hand that was comforting. "Heart rate is actually better than I expected."

"Virgil, report?" John asked, his fingers already flying over his screens, making notes. 

“Talk us through it, boys,” Grandma instructed. She had brought up the feed on the coffee table's projector and was watching it intently, already making plans and mentally cataloguing what kind of treatment he would need. 

"Fractured left wrist is his biggest injury," Virgil answered, his voice sounding shocked. "How is that even possible?" He shook his head, unable to comprehend what he was seeing on his readout. How was it possible that Scott was in such good shape? He'd been expecting the worst, having seen people fall from lesser heights onto softer ground at a slower pace and still sustain life threatening injuries. Scott, like all of them, seemed to have been born lucky. 

"What else?" John prompted when Virgil had fallen silent, absorbed in his scanner readouts. 

"Left side, two cracked ribs, numbers five and six, probably from first impact against the mountain, that's likely what broke his wrist too," Virgil swallowed and continued, gaining momentum now that he'd gotten over his initial shock. "There's a little dent and scuffing on his helmet and the scanner is registering a mild concussion. My best guess is that the blow to the head knocked him out, which meant he was limp and relaxed when he fell, that surely went a long way towards limiting the damage he sustained."

"Anything else?" Grandma asked. 

"Muscles of his right shoulder are strained, I'd guess from where he was reaching into the crevice when whatever it was that happened, happened," he continued scanning as he spoke, giving a running commentary. "Right ankle likely twisted too, but all in all, he's in pretty good shape, no damage to his neck or spine that is registering, he's going to have some spectacular bruising but I think it's safe to move him straight away."

"That's great news," Jeff sighed gratefully. "He got very lucky, any one of those injuries could have been very serious, especially a whack to the head." 

"Well, we knew he was hard headed," Selene muttered under her breath, but they heard her and to her relief her comment prompted a few chuckles. 

"Can't deny that," Gordon agreed, his helmet feed showing that a small smile had formed on his face. 

“I don't think there's any need to take him to hospital, boys,” Grandma announced, getting to her feet. "You just bring him home as soon as you can, I'm going to get the med bay prepared." 

No one was surprised by this, Grandma hated to sit around doing nothing, just waiting, especially when her grandsons were involved, doubly so when they were hurt. She needed to be right there, waiting to start work on him the second they got him home.

“Need any help?” Selene asked.

“Not yet, but we will when they get back, he’s going to need distracting and comforting while we work on him, will you be okay to do that? Gordon and Virgil will be helping me and if he sees Alan he's likely to act up more because he'll want to protect him."

Selene sucked in a steadying breath but nodded firmly. She’d be okay, she wouldn’t allow anything else, that was her best friend and she would be there for him for anything he needed.

“Good girl, I’ll see you down there. Brains, you’re with me.”

“Yes, oo-of course.” He jumped to his feet, following after her.

"This is Thunderbird Shadow reporting in," Kayo's voice floated out of her portrait, closely followed by her cockpit feed, her hologram joining the party. "Nearing the danger zone now, what have you got for me?" 

"I've sent you the coordinates," John answered. "Virgil and Gordon are with Scott now, so just concentrate on finding that lost climber."

Gordon and Virgil worked silently while those back at base talked to Kayo, splinting Scott's wrist and making sure it was strapped securely to his waist before removing his damaged jetpack so he could be rolled over onto his back. 

Kayo confirmed with a quick FAB, her hologram blinking out and Jeff, Alan and Selene returned their attention to the drone feed that John had focused back on the ledge. 

"What do you think?" Gordon asked Virgil, his voice beaming back to Tracy Island. "Now that he's supported shall we try to get him straight on the stretcher or get his helmet off first?" 

"Let's get the helmet off, if we can wake him before we move him it might be easier, you remember what he was like last time he got knocked out?" 

"Yeah," Gordon winced, rubbing his jaw as if it still hurt.

"What happened?" Selene asked Alan, who had let go of her hand and was now looking more relaxed, controlling One casually with one hand, looking for all the world like he was barely paying any attention at all, but she knew better. 

"He freaked out and woke up talking with his fists," Alan replied, smirking at the memory. "Gordon's face got in the way."

"Should have guessed that," she acknowledged before turning back to the holoscreen, everyone falling silent again, not wanting to disturb Virgil and Gordon who had continued to talk to each other as if no one was watching, communication in the field, especially when working on a patient, being vitally important. 

"I'll hold his shoulders, you take the helmet off, if he kicks out I'll subdue him," Virgil instructed, carefully straddling his brother's legs and taking a hold of his shoulders as Gordon readied himself. 

Gordon waited for the nod from his brother to show he was in place and then pressed the emergency release button that all their helmets had built in, they rarely used them, but it wouldn't do to aggravate a potential head, neck or spinal injury by yanking at someone's head if they didn’t need to. Thankfully Scott was in no danger of that but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t appreciate some gentle handling. 

The second Gordon started tugging his helmet off Scott came around just as predicted, eyes wide, teeth snarling and shoulders trying to come off the ground. Fortunately for Gordon, Virgil had a firm hold of him.

“Scott, calm down, it’s just us, you’re alright,” Virgil soothed, though his actions were anything but calm as he pushed his weight down as gently as he could onto his brother, not wanting to hurt his shoulder or ribs any worse than they already were.

Scott continued to struggle for a few moments before Virgil’s words filtered through the fog in his head and he fell still, gazing up at the fuzzy image of blue, green and a splodge of dark on top. 

"Virgil?" He blinked a few times, trying to clear his vision, the glare of the sun glinting off the snow almost blinding him. 

Jeff, Alan, John and Selene all slumped in relief. Hearing him speak, seeing him recognise his brother so soon was the best they could have ever hoped for. They stayed quiet, not wanting to disturb them or confuse Scott by having him hear their voices when they weren't there. They listened carefully, following every word that was said, paying attention to every scrap of information. 

"Yeah, it's us, we're here. Now hold still for a minute while Gordon checks your head, OK?" 

"Wha...my head?" He tried to turn to look at Gordon but was prevented by Gordon's hands, although even the small movement he managed sent daggers of pain through his skull. He tried to shift away again and Virgil pressed down a little harder. 

A groan escaped him as his body caught up with his brain and got with the program, his pain receptors coming fully online, his entire body feeling like it was on fire, the added pressure of Virgil’s hands not helping the situation. 

"What happened? Where…where are we? What?" his words were slurred like he'd been drinking all night and woken up in a gutter somewhere and his body didn't feel much better. What had happened? 

“Something went wrong, we don’t know what yet, just try to stay still and let us help you,” Virgil instructed but Scott was having none of it.

“Let me up,” he tried to lift his arms but Virgil, and the fact that one was strapped to his body, prevented it. “Let me go!” He tried to sit up but his ribs and back protested, leaving him panting in pain, feeling like he was about to throw up.

“Stay still and we’ll get you something for the pain before we try to move you,” Gordon promised, digging around in the med kit for the injectable pain relief they always carried.

Scott stilled for a second, his breathing coming in heavy bursts, his mind whirling, trying to piece together what had happened to him. Everything felt disjoined, abstract even, apart from the pain that was, unfortunately that felt all too real. He tried to distract himself and focus as his brothers worked on him, his wrist felt heavy and wouldn't move when he tried to flex it although judging by the pain radiating from it, that was probably a good thing.

He’d obviously been out on a rescue, that much he was certain of, they didn’t get snow on the Island and he was in his IR blues, so it was a solid bet. His face screwed up in concentration as he forced his sluggish brain to respond. There was a woman, he was almost sure of that...Virgil had said that something had gone wrong, did that mean with the rescue? Was anyone else hurt?

“Where is she?” he asked Virgil, since he couldn’t see Gordon at all.

“Who, Scott?” 

“The woman…” he licked his dry lips and swallowed trying to work up some saliva to ease his parched throat. His voice came out as barely a croak, but he pushed on regardless. “The one I was trying to help?”

Jeff smiled, shaking his head. It was so typical of Scott to be more concerned with his mission than himself, to care more about the people he was trying to save and it said so much about him as a person that his first priority was to his job. 

“Don’t worry about her now, Kayo is looking for her, let’s just focus on you,” Virgil soothed but Scott was in no mood to be placated.

“Is she hurt? Is she okay? Answer me, dammit! I need to-” a sharp pain made him jump, a pain that was followed almost immediately by a cool sensation emanating from the injection spot. That coolness quickly morphed into a comforting warmth that washed through his body, covering him like a blanket. Oh, that felt good. The warmth soothed the hot bite of the pain, dulling it to a more manageable level. He felt his tense muscles grow floppy, a euphoric rush of sensation that drew a low moan of pleasurable relief from his throat. He was back to being unable to focus but this time he didn’t care, didn’t bother chasing it, he just let himself float on the blissful cloud of dizziness and dissociation that came with the good stuff his brother had so generously bestowed upon him.

Virgil felt Scott’s body relax, the fight going out of him and sat back, releasing his shoulders, sure that now he wouldn't fight them. Scott on pain relief was a soppy, affectionate thing that loved everyone and everything. As if to prove the point, Scott reached out with his uninjured hand, trying to grab Virgil to pull him into a hug. 

"No, no, you behave, just lie still and give us a chance to move you onto this board,” Virgil ordered, fending off his dopey brother’s affectionate attack. 

Selene and Alan giggled, they couldn't help it, Scott was affectionate in general but now he was not taking no for an answer. Seeing it went a long way towards easing their anxiety and how hurt he really was. 

Gordon, now that he knew his brother wasn't in immediate danger, was finding it quite funny as he too avoided the flailing arm intent on hugging everything in sight. He took a firm hold of Scott’s upper arms, Virgil got his legs and together, on the count of three, they lifted him and smoothly transferred him to the stretcher. 

It was Virgil’s turn to laugh when, with a surprising show of coordination and dexterity, Scott’s hand shot out and caught hold of Gordon’s neck, dragging him down so sharpy he almost fell on top of his injured brother.

“Get…get off!” Gordon yelped as Scott aimed a sloppy kiss at his cheek. He gently caught his hand and held it down by his side as Virgil laid the straps over his chest and secured them in place, tightening them just enough, not wanting to hurt him. With Scott's arm immobilised and unable to continue to hinder their efforts, it took them very little time to secure his shoulders, thighs and ankles. 

“Love you,” Scott slurred, his mouth turned up in a soppy grin. "Love you both."

"Yeah, we love you too," Virgil chuckled, re-connecting the lifting cables to the stretcher now that he was strapped down. 

"Winch away, Thunderbird Five," Virgil instructed once he and Gordon were clipped on to the sides of the stretcher and secured for transport.

John confirmed with a quick "FAB", the stretcher starting to ascend before he’d even finished speaking.

***

“Thunderbird Two is leaving the danger zone, there is still no sign of the climber, I've tried everything, as have EOS and Kayo,” John told them, already moving through Five’s gravity ring, gathering the few belongings he’d need on earth before heading to the waiting Space Elevator.

“Thanks, Son, we'll keep trying."

"Kayo is starting her third sweep of the area," John said as he walked, checking various screens and adjusting their settings. "I've alerted the local authorities too, they know those mountains better than we do, but they were surprised to get my call."

"How so?" 

"They said they had no climbing parties registered for the next two days, yet she clearly said she had left her group behind at base camp, wanting an early start." 

"That is strange," Jeff agreed, his forehead wrinkling with the force of his frown. 

"They said it is illegal to be on the mountain without a climber's permit and without booking in the time you will be there. It's easy to get lost or injured out there, so they keep a careful track of every visitor just in case one doesn't report in."

"This whole thing is getting more and more suspicious by the minute," Jeff mused. "I guess all that can be done now is for Kayo to keep searching until mountain rescue get there.

"Unfortunately, it seems to be our only option right now, much as I don't like it," John agreed. "I'm on my way down, I've got EOS running continuous scans and trying the cell phone at regular intervals and she'll keep trying until we tell her to stop."

"Good work, we’ll see you in a few minutes,” Jeff answered. Now that all his children were almost home he allowed himself to relax a little, reaching for the now cold cup of coffee that Selene had made for him and took a fortifying sip. "What's Thunderbird Two's ETA?" 

"Twenty-one minutes," John replied, settling in his reclining seat. "See you on the ground."

“I’m gonna meet them in the hangars,” Selene decided, unable to keep sitting there any longer. 

“We’ll wait here,” Jeff answered, “we won’t all fit in the surgical bay.”

Selene shuddered at his words, surgical bay, urgh, even the thought of it made her stomach do an inelegant flip. Scott seemed okay, they had said his injuries weren’t that bad and somehow she’d managed to forget the fact that he’d need his bones setting and probably other treatments too. Gods, her poor boy, her heart hurt for him.

She stayed out of the way as the cliff face opened and Two rumbled its way into its spot, jiggling on the balls of her feet, desperate to see him and help in any way she could.

The waiting was always the hardest thing, it had been with John and with Gordon and now it was just as bad with Scott. 

With John she had been in an unfamiliar place filled with unfamiliar people and just wanted to see him, to know he was alright. She'd only just found him and the thought of losing someone that precious to her, of not having him in her life had been unbearable. 

With Gordon she had been with everyone else, sharing the worry and the grief that he was hurt, the thoughts that their little ray of sunshine could have been snuffed out so completely were something they hadn't allowed head space. But in the days after, sitting with him and Grandma in the hospital, she'd whispered more prayers of thanks than she had ever done before. 

Now she was back there again, albeit in a less serious situation, but still feeling that need to comfort, that need to be there for all of them, but especially Scott. 

Scott was one of her safe places, he was the one she went to on the very rare occasions that she couldn't talk to John about something that was bothering her. They didn't have secrets but she was always respectful of his feelings, as he was hers and sometimes she needed someone that wasn't him. Scott was her someone as she was for him, they were as close as siblings, the best of friends and she was going to make sure she was there for him every step of the way. 

She had to wait another three minutes while the craft docked properly and its module was ejected, the door lowering to allow them to guide the stretcher out as it hovered at waist height.

“Is Grandma ready?” Virgil asked as soon as he got close enough?

“She should be,” Selene answered.

“Hey!” Scott demanded from his prone position, glaring up at her. “Why are you ignoring me? I’m the one that has the ouchy! Pay attention to me!"

“Like I would ever ignore you,” she assured him, catching his uninjured hand with her own. "My poor darling, look at you, all banged up and not in a fun way." She stroked his hair with her free hand, trying not to laugh at his pathetic pout. 

“Let’s get moving, the sooner we get him fixed up the better,” Gordon urged, directing the stretcher. 

They made their way through the hangar and past the labs to the medical wing, Selene holding tight to Scott’s hand, more to comfort herself than him, he seemed to be doing fine, humming quietly to himself now that he had her full attention.

She hadn’t been back in the medical wing since being there with John and even then she hadn’t had to go into the actual operating theater. Thankfully, Grandma had promised her that it wouldn’t be so bad and that it wasn’t that serious, if it had been they would have taken him straight to hospital on the mainland like they'd had to with Gordon. 

After promising Scott they would be right back, she, Gordon and Virgil took it in turns to change into clean, scrub-like clothes they used for medical procedures, Grandma already gowned up and waiting. 

“Okay, step back while we do the transfer,” Virgil instructed as, on the count of three, they moved him onto the operating table from the stretcher, which Selene moved outside to clear some space.

Much to Scott's disgust, they cut off his uniform, not being able to get him out of it without disturbing his wrist and shoulder or aggravating his ribs. They pulled a loose, open backed surgical gown over his arms and chest and got to work. 

They took another scan of his wrist, ribs and shoulder just to be sure and then another of his head, but everything was still as it should be.

“Good news,” Selene joked. “They found a brain in your skull, you aren’t a lost cause after all.”

Scott’s face screwed up as he attempted to scowl at her but seemed to be lacking the fine motor skills to make his face work leaving him looking more like he had trapped gas.

“Oh, you know I love you,” she soothed, patting his head as Gordon pushed a stool over for her to sit on. She took her seat, looking away briefly, having to screw her eyes shut and take some deep breaths, while Grandma set up a line in the back of his good hand that they could use to pump in more pain relief if he needed it. Gordon connected up a heart rate monitor and settled back out of the way to keep an eye on him from a distance 

The pain relief was acting like a mild sedative that was keeping him spacey enough that he didn’t move while they worked but was making him see pretty colours on the ceiling and apparently his ‘eye curtains’ were so heavy he could barely open them, along with his wibbly noodle fingers. Although he still flinched and complained when they injected the anesthetic into his arm and wrist, numbing the area before they started work. 

Selene chatted to him, distracting both him and herself from what was going on behind the screen Virgil and Grandma had erected between the left half of Scott's body and her and Gordon, which she was pathetically grateful for.

She tried to ignore their quiet whisperings, the clinking of instruments and equipment, the bloodied scalpel that landed in the used instrument tray as they made a small access hole in his arm and the low hum of the laser they were using to fuse the shattered bone in his wrist. 

Scott, being Scott, was alternating between trying to move enough that he could see what was going on and trying to sing her a little song he was apparently making up on the spot, something about chickens and crumbs in the bed that he insisted was very very important and that she had to "listen carefully, really listen, are you listening?" to which she solemnly promised she was. 

"Can we roll him over a little?" Grandma requested once they had his wrist in an air cast and were ready to move on to his ribs. 

"Sure thing." Virgil moved to Scott's head, ready to steady his shoulders and help him roll but Scott was having none of it. Every time they tried to roll him over he tried to flip back again. They needed his arm up and out of the way and for him to lie still on his side. 

"Sel?" Virgil implored after wrestling his brother back into position for the third time just to have him move the second he let go. 

"On it." She moved her stool closer and opened her arms, putting on her most pathetically needy voice. "Scott, can you give me a big hug? I'm really scared right now because I'm a big baby and I don't like needles."

Almost immediately a clumsy arm, complete with air cast that almost hit her in the face, was draped over her shoulder and around her neck, tugging her in close. 

"It's true," Gordon told him, "she's a big baby when it comes to needles, the night we rescued her she cried on Virgil and almost broke my hand, she was holding it so tight."

"Yes, thanks for that extra information, like it wasn't embarrassing enough," she groused as she steadied herself by resting her elbows on the bed so she could cup Scott's face in her hands and keep him focused on her, resting her forehead against his. "Don't tell John you know my secret."

She managed to keep him distracted for the time it took to get his arm properly positioned and his side wiped down and cleaned but it was hard going, he kept drifting off into his own little world then coming back with a jolt. 

"Hey, you," she called, catching his attention again for the sixth time while making sure she wasn't looking as Virgil and Grandma got to work numbing up his side and making two small incisions above his fifth and sixth ribs. He flinched again with the insertion of the injections but calmed quickly when she reminded him that she needed him to be brave enough for the both of them. 

"You're doing brilliant, babe," she encouraged as the thin nose of the laser was carefully inserted into the access hole they had made. "But you're going to have to promise me you will rest up and behave for the next few weeks, can you do that?" 

Gordon snorted in disbelief but didn't say anything, neither did Scott who even in his drugged up state seemed to know he shouldn't be promising her anything that he couldn't fulfil. 

"I promise you," she continued, keeping her eyes firmly locked on his as the whine of the laser started again, "that I'll be right here and I'll help you with anything you need, no matter what, if you just promise to behave."

"Anything?" he mumbled dozily as the laser went silent and he was quickly glued shut and pronounced as done. 

"Anything," she promised. 

***

Things had settled down into a little routine, everyone taking it in turns to sit with Scott and keep him company until Grandma released him from his sick bed prison. 

Selene had stayed in his room with him the first night, having sent Grandma to bed. The meds he had been given had started to affect him negatively an hour or so after his operation, giving him a slight fever, the occasional bout of vomiting and vivid nightmares. 

Gordon and Virgil had popped in at regular intervals throughout the night, checking on him and administering anything he needed while she had been on hand to keep an eye on him for any emergencies. 

He'd woken up hungry and demanded pop tarts, which she had dutifully gone to fetch, finding him asleep again by the time she got back and had eaten them herself. 

She had spent the night curled up in a chair beside his bed, keeping an eye on him, soothing him back to sleep when he became distressed or was restless. She had only left to get some rest herself when Grandma had arrived to relieve her in the morning. 

John was still earthside, working with Kayo in following up with mountain rescue on the lost climber. Kayo had stayed there for a further three hours until she could meet with the designated search party and pass on the information they had. 

Unfortunately the search had turned up nothing, not even a trace of her having been there and John had had no luck in his own investigations until midway through the second day when EOS announced that the phone had finally been switched back on. 

John had immediately honed in on it, finding to his amazement that in the time since the rescue it moved from Norway to Poland, the only information he had been able to gather in the short time it was active before it had been turned off again and the signal lost. 

"That proves that she was never in danger or in need of rescue," Jeff sighed, although he was relieved that they hadn't actually failed to save someone. 

"But what was the point of doing that?" Alan wondered out loud. 

"It wouldn't be the first time that someone has faked a rescue to try to get close to one of us," Virgil reminded him. "Remember that woman who drove herself into a river and then called us out just because she wanted a date for her sister's wedding?" 

"True," Alan coincided. "But why run away?" 

"My best guess is that she got scared when Scott was injured and thought she'd get in trouble so took herself off before we got there," John answered, not looking up from his tablet where he was still trying to find out more about the phone's owner, although he had little hope that he'd be able to find out anything that Kayo hadn't.

"I guess that could make sense," Alan said although he didn't sound convinced. 

"I don't know," Jeff murmured. "Something doesn't feel right here, something in my gut is telling me there's more to it than just a badly thought out prank. The fact that it's in a different country tells me that it's not just some local with a bad sense of humour."

"What concerns me is how quickly the climber seemed to vanish from the area. At first I thought she might have fallen further," Virgil mused, reaching for his coffee and taking a sip before continuing. "But, as you said, you did every scan we possess, if she had been there you would have found her. So there has to have been another way."

"I didn't see any vehicles or crafts in the area," John assured him. 

"But what if it wasn't able to be seen?" Alan asked. "Shadow can be cloaked, the Chaos Cruiser was capable of it too."

"I think we're in danger of getting into paranoia territory now," Jeff warned him gently. "The Hood has been in jail almost nine months now, as have his Chaos Crew, it can't be them."

"But it could be someone else," Alan pushed. 

"There's no reason yet to even think that," John replied, "but I'm going to have EOS add the phone number to the permanent watch list."

"Do I even want to know why you have that?" Selene asked, catching the tail end of the conversation as she entered the lounge. 

"Probably not, hazard of the job," John answered, tipping his head to the side distractedly, offering his lips for a quick kiss as she passed by to drop down next to Alan. 

"How is he?" Jeff asked, having tagged out of Scott duty three hours ago and let her take over. 

"Grumpy, hungry, sleepy, achy and itchy," she answered, "basically, pick a dwarf and he's hit it already. We've watched two of his favourite movies, I've catered to his every culinary desire, he's napped, he's got pain killers and all that's left is to burp him and to stop him when he tries to clap along to the Friends theme tune. I've left him with Gordon, poor bugger."

Jeff hid his smile behind a well placed hand. "Which one are we feeling sorry for?" 

"Either of them is a candidate, not gonna lie." She turned to John. "So, what conversation did I walk in on that required you to admit you have a watch list, you creepy sky stalker?" 

John flipped his middle finger at her, still busy tapping on his tablet but he didn't mean it and still answered once he'd finished. 

"The climbers phone reactivated for 45.2 seconds but we were able to get a trace on it, narrowing it down to a location as well as get a ping for the make, model and serial number."

"Awesome, so that means…" she trailed off as if she was letting him finish out of the goodness of her heart but none of them were fooled, she didn't have a clue what that meant. 

"It should have meant that we could track and trace the phone, we should have been able to activate it remotely as well as find the details of the person it is registered to."

"Do I take it by your use of should have, that it's not been the case?" 

"Correct," he was scowling at his screen as if it had personally offended him and every one of his ancestors. 

Patting Alan's knee she got up and moved over to sit by John. 

"What's up?" 

He pointed at his tablet with an accusatory finger. "This should not be possible." 

She looked at his screen, seeing nothing but numbers scrolling past at a phenomenal rate. 

"Spell it out for me in very simple terms, babe, preferably with dummy words and maybe even hand puppets."

"I can't find any records. It's like the phone, the person, everything about this, doesn't exist. I even had EOS take a voice sample from the original emergency call and although we've executed a web wide search for her voice pattern. As you know, so much is voice activated these days that almost everyone should have a voice sample somewhere on the net but there's nothing, she's nothing. We know she existed because Scott saw her, we saw her, he touched her, but I can't find her. I even tried facial recognition from Scott's helmet cam and couldn't find a match."

"Seriously?" Selene goggled, unable to believe that not only did the woman seem to have no internet presence but that John had actually been stumped. 

"That was my reaction too, and until I can find out who she is and why she did what she did, we won't truly know what happened."

"Has Scott remembered anything else?" Jeff asked her but she shook her head.

"No more than he did earlier. He knows as much as we do, which isn't a huge amount and that's only because we've told him ourselves."

"Yeah," Alan agreed. "All we know is that he reached for her and had a sudden malfunction of his jetpack that launched him at the side of a mountain."

"That's the part that doesn't make sense," Virgil joined in, "all our equipment is tested to way beyond its normal operating levels, it's maintained and checked after every use, nothing should have gone wrong with it."

"Brains hasn't left his lab since he got his hands on it, he's taking it to pieces and checking every single part," Jeff added. 

"Let's hope he finds something," Virgil sighed. 

"I believe I have d-done just that," Brains' voice came from the doorway, evidently on route to see Jeff but had paused upon seeing so many of them in the lounge at once. He was carrying a specimen jar that contained some murky liquid but that clinked when he walked. 

"What do you have there, Brains?" Jeff asked. 

Brains set the jar on the coffee table for them to examine. 

"I'm not completely sure yet, but I can make a very ed-educated guess."

"Well, your guesses are usually pretty spot on," Virgil encouraged. 

Brains took a seat next to Virgil, pushing his glasses back up on his nose, a gesture he always did before he went into what Selene had affectionately dubbed as his lecture mode. 

"As-as you know, I've been checking every component of the jet pack, looking for anything that may have caused such a malfunction. And, I-I have to admit, I had been unsuccessful. I stripped it down to nothing and found no reason for it to behave as it did."

"So you still don't know what happened to it? There was nothing broken?" Jeff asked. 

"No, nothing at all. There was nothing wrong with any part of it."

"Yet it still malfunctioned and there has to be a reason," Virgil insisted. "We know it's not in the design or the parts."

"There is indeed a reason," Brains agreed. "And it's in that jar."

They all peered at the jar but apart from the liquid that looked like muddy water, they saw nothing. 

"Gonna need more information than that, Brains," Alan said. 

"The jet pack itself was a little dirty from smashing against the rocks and its time on the ground," Brains began, pausing to make sure they were listening and understanding so far. "I c-cleaned it off, just wiping it down but, th-thankfully for us, I neglected to dispose of the dirt and cleaning materials, wanting to get started on the investigation."

They all waited for him to continue. 

"I was just starting the pro-process all over a-again when, for less than thirty seconds, something in my cloth pile began to beep. It was a very t-tiny sound, but MAX heard it and tra-traced it's source. This!" he proudly smacked the top of the jar, his stutter more pronounced the more excited and engaged he became.

"Muddy water?" 

"N-no, Alan, a disrupter!" 

"A disrupter?" 

"Of course!" 

"A what now? The only disrupter I know is Gordon."

John reached over, picking up the jar, tipping it at an angle to peer inside.

"That's a very compact one, I take it that it was hidden in the dirt, maybe already covered in it when it was placed there?" 

"That's not just dirt. It seems to contain some kind of sticky, conductive fluid, most likely designed to camouflage the conductor but also amplify its range as well as keep it secured to its target."

"Very clever," Virgil admitted, taking the jar from John so he could examine it himself. 

"Of, c-course I scanned the entire pack when I received it and every component after I deconstructed it, but this never showed itself because of the fluid mixed in with the dirt."

"You said it beeped?" John asked. 

"Yes," he pushed his glasses back up his nose again.

"When was this?" 

Brains looked at his comm. "Precisely thirty-six minutes ago."

"That's the time that the phone switched on," John confirmed. 

"So it's linked to the climber's phone somehow?" Jeff asked. 

"Yes. My best guess would be to say that this was sabotage."

"The idea of a cloaked craft isn't looking so unbelievable now, is it?" Alan smirked. He wished he didn't have to say I told you so, but he was going to do it regardless. 

"But how did it get there, Brians?" Jeff wanted to know, ignoring his youngest for the moment. 

"I suspect it was the climber, that when Scott came close enough to make a grab for her, she transferred it to his pack just before she knocked him aside and fell deeper." 

Brians, like all of them, had reviewed the footage a number of times looking for the moment of malfunction, but now, when John pulled up Scott's camera feed they kept a close eye on her hands. 

Her hands were dirty, covered in mud from her fall down the rocks, making it almost impossible to see any details, which made the plan even more ingenious. She had slapped at the back of his jetpack, scrabbling for purchase, looking for all the world like she was desperately trying to find something to catch hold of on the shiny metal but now they knew differently. 

"Clever, very clever," Jeff grudgingly admitted. "But now we have another worry, if that phone turning on activated this device, there's a possibility they could be using it as a tracker, we need to either destroy it or get it off the island and fast."

"I'll take it," John offered. "I was going to head back up soon anyway, I might as well let it have a nice little detour into deep space."

"That's a good idea, Son, you go do that after Brains has gotten all the information out of it as he can."

"I'll need maybe another three hours," Brains told them, taking the jar and heading back to his lab.

"At least we know what happened and what was up with that entire rescue," Virgil said.

"Yes, but unfortunately the damage has been done, Scott's out of action so one of us will have to step into his shoes and there's no telling why they even did this or if it will happen again," Jeff sighed. 

"I'll go and tell Scott and Gordon what we've found out," Virgil volunteered, shutting his sketch pad and heading for the stairs. 

"I'll come with you," Selene offered. "I promised him I'd heat him up some apple pie."

***  
"Yes, yes I did say that," Selene acknowledge, trying to resist the power of the Dimple King at his most adorable. 

"Then help me, I can't reach it myself," he whined, attempting to rub his butt against the couch cushions with a weird wiggling motion like a dog with worms, disturbing Armie who was curled up on his lap. The cat had barely left his side all day since he'd been let out of the med bay but now he glared a protest and slinked off to go and find Virgil who he would likely tap for more food. 

While Scott had remembered the woman upon first waking, he now remembered nothing about the day of the rescue or the one after, an aftereffect of both his concussion and the medication they had given him. Honestly she thought it was a good thing, there was nothing he could tell them that they didn't already know and he would have just been torturing himself over letting himself get into the situation in the first place. 

They had told him everything that had happened, had explained it all as best they could, but there were still so many unanswered questions, like who she was and why she had done it. Why target them and would she try a stunt like that again? 

Thankfully, with technology being what it was in regards to the advances in laser surgery, it meant that broken bones could be fused together almost seamlessly. This cut the healing time down from a natural six to eight weeks to a more manageable two, the rehab down to four, and his ribs to only a few weeks. But that, coupled with the healing and rehab time of his shoulder and ankle, still meant Scott would be out of commission for nearly two months, something that he was already finding quite hard. 

"I am not scratching your butt for you!" 

"Mean!"

"I am not mean, I just have standards and lines I won't cross," she looked around the room, hoping for inspiration, which finally came in the form of Jeff's letter opener, which she slide between the cushions and his backside, wiggling it back and forth until he sighed in relief and settled back against the cushions more comfortably. 

"Thank you."

"I'd say you're welcome, but you know…" she shrugged. "I'm just not gonna."

Scott nodded his acceptance, knowing it was a battle he'd never win, his jaw cracking in a wide yawn. 

"Why don't we get you to bed so you can rest for a bit?" 

"No," Scott shook his head, wincing when the movement pulled at his sore shoulder and made his headache worse. He saw her watching and immediately smoothed out his face but he wasn't quick enough. 

"Have you taken your meds yet?" 

"Not yet, I don't want to, they make me drowsy and spaced out."

"Scott, you've got a concussion and healing ribs, wrist, shoulder and ankle, you're allowed and actually encouraged to take some meds and look after yourself. You promised me you'd behave."

"I have no knowledge of such a promise," he argued, "besides I don't like feeling out of control, what if a call comes in and I can't coordinate?" 

"Your dad and John will sort it, you need to rest and you can't while you're in pain."

"I'm fine, I'm not in pain."

"Do not lie to me, Scott Tracy," if the hands on her hips weren't warning enough for him her tappy food of displeasure should have tipped him off. But Scott was nothing if not stubborn and a bit of a dumbass. 

"I'm not, I'm fine."

She sighed, rolling her eyes towards the heavens and the man she loved more than anything, the reason she was currently arguing with her overgrown toddler of a best friend. 

"Will you at least eat something?" she wheedled. "Just to make me happy and stop me worrying so much about you?" 

"What do you have?" he countered, starting to show an interest. 

"What do you want?" she shot back. 

"Nothing I have to use a knife and fork for, I won't have anyone feeding me again."

"I can make you some of that spicy chicken soup you like," she offered. "You can drink that from a mug with one hand." 

"Any of that bread left?" 

"Should be."

"Okay, fine, I'll eat."

"He's out," Selene reported to Virgil twenty minutes after he'd finished his soup. She arranged a pillow under Scott to keep him upright and covered him with a blanket. 

"Did he take them willingly or did you have to get sneaky?" Virgil asked, his holographic form floating from her comm. 

"It's Scott," she snorted, "when does he do anything willingly? I had to crush them and put them in his lunch."

"He's so damn stubborn, he needs the strong stuff but he won't take it because it makes him dozy."

"At least he's sleeping now," she sighed, smoothing the hair back from his forehead, making sure his hair sat just right for him, since he couldn't do it himself.

"He won't be happy when he wakes up, you know that, right?" 

"Yep," she sighed. "But I'd rather take him grumpy than in pain."

"Me too, he's not the best patient in the world, but I'm sure he appreciates our efforts, or at least he will once he's not high on pain relief."

"Personally, I was expecting him to be a whole lot worse than he is."

"At the moment he's too sore and pitiful to be much trouble, just wait until he's feeling better and wanting to get back out there, that's when the real fight will begin."

"Urghh, I'm gonna need more coffee," Selene groaned. It had only been five days and she already needed a vacation, a massage and to sleep for a week. 

"Already poured it for you, come and get it."

"Have I told you lately that I love you?" she asked, already heading for the stairs.


	56. The things you find in a box.

“I could have flown this one handed.”

“I know, but you didn’t need to, you’re supposed to be resting, remember?”

“Being driven by my Grandma is worse than any physical pain.”

“You’re such a...such a…” Selene paused, utterly stumped. 

“Hero, handsome devil, a total guy?”

“Toddler.”

“That hurts, Sel, that really hurts.”

“More like it hurts your ego.”

“I can hear you two, you know,” Grandma yelled back at them and they instantly shut up, although they exchanged a little smile.

Grandma was an excellent pilot, especially when she was in her own plane, one that was definitely slower and less luxurious than the ones Scott was used to, but it was doing the job and Selene, much like Penelope, was just happy to be taxied places rather than having to make the effort herself. Concentrating for long periods of time went against her entire hippy style life choices and so she was happy to sit in back and chill.

Scott on the other hand, was not. He was a typical man, one that liked to be in the driving seat, liked to be the one in charge. People thought he was most likely to be heard to say something reassuring like ‘We can handle it,’ but she knew he was more likely to say ‘I’ll drive’. That was him all over, he didn't like to sit back and be at the mercy of someone else, they never drove fast enough, they never drove his way or took the route he wanted and it frustrated him no end. 

Scott was a high octane type of guy, he liked fast things, fast planes, fast cars, fast bikes fast food, the faster the better. He liked things that looked sleek and pretty, aerodynamic and cool, not boxy looking old planes with enough room in the cargo hold for the things they were transporting and picking up. 

In short he didn’t like this plane, she could see that a mile off, but her car would have been too slow. Unfortunately for him, Grandma wasn’t as comfortable flying one of their jets and Jeff was currently on standby on the Island to take over with One if an emergency call came in, so he had to suck it up.

Selene knew that had been hard on him, even though Jeff had been great in sticking to their unspoken rules of him not taking over or issuing orders without asking their opinion first, but it was still tense whenever a call came in and Jeff was the one to suit up, not Scott. 

They had tried to keep Jeff’s involvement in rescues to a minimum, not just to make things easier on Scott while he was stuck on the sidelines but on Jeff too. He wasn’t old by any means, but he certainly wasn’t as young as he had been and he’d been through a lot since his rescue from the Oort cloud and his body had suffered some serious damage that he was still recovering from. 

He got tired easily, his reactions weren’t as quick as they had once been and neither were his eyes as sharp. He’d never needed glasses before but now he was often seen with a small pair of reading glasses perched on his nose to read his books or when studying paperwork and sometimes he needed the holograms to be enlarged if they were all watching a movie. Being an old fashioned kind of man he had refused laser correction and was happier to suffer like his mother did. 

Scott had been haunting the island like a ghost for the past four weeks, a grumpy, moaning specter that would suddenly appear in whatever room had the most people in it, scowling at nothing and making people miserable just to look at him. Honestly if someone had given him a chain to drag around the look would be complete. 

He was working too hard with his physio, pushing himself too far too fast, wanting to be back in One before he was physically ready. Virgil had stepped in and ordered him to take a break, backed up by Grandma, who no one would dare argue with, not even Scott. He’d accompanied Selene on her journey back to England a couple of times so he could spend a few nights with his old flame - who seemed to be more like a current fire from what Selene had seen- but she was now busy, working flat out for the next few weeks and so Selene was back on Scott duty, hence her dragging him along with her and Grandma.

“Remind me what we’re doing here again?” Mr Grumpy Ass asked. His wrist was now out of its air cast, but was still sporting a nice support bandage and a sling for those times when it was aching a lot, his shoulder was almost fully healed, as was his ankle, but his ribs were still aching by the end of the day, so he was not cleared for any lifting or much movement at all really without Virgil or Gordon there to supervise.

“Grandma said there are some things in the attic she needs for the wedding.”

“So, basically you’re dragging me along on a shopping trip?”

“No! There will be no shopping Mr Moody Pants, this is just a chance to chill a bit, dig through some old family stuff and hopefully find what we need. She said her dressmaking form is in there and her old sewing machine-”

“And my old tiara, it was my mother's and my grandmother's before her, I wore it on my wedding day, as did the boys mother, it’s tradition.”

Scott shot a sideways glance at Selene who shrugged. OK, so she wasn't a big one for traditional and had been planning on a simple flower crown, but if it would please Grandma she'd do it. 

“We can run into town and go to that steak house you like,” Grandma offered.

“Now you’re talking,” Scott grinned. As ever, he was easily motivated by the thought of a full stomach. 

“How much further have we got to go?” Selene asked, having never actually been to the family ranch before. Yep, two years in the family and the few times they had gone she had been busy and unable to go with them, life sucked sometimes.

Scott did that weird guy thing where they barely glance out the window but seem to be able to accurately judge exactly where they were.

“Another hour, give or take,” he sighed deeply and settled back in his seat. “I’m gonna take a nap, wake me when we get there, we’ll do lunch first, I’m hungry.”

***

“I thought you didn’t like mushrooms,” Grandma accused, eying Selene's plate. She had received her food order but had neglected to ask them to remove the mushrooms. “You keep saying you can’t eat anything I make if it has mushrooms in it. A foul fungus you call them, evil, spawn of the devil, so why did you…” she trailed off as Selene picked up her plate and carefully scraped them on to Scott’s so he had double.

“I get them so he can have them,” Selene answered, stealing one of his onion rings in trade.

“I should have known,” Grandma sighed, shaking her head affectionately. “Do you want some of mine too?” His plate was pushed over before she had even finished asking.

“So, what’s the plan?” Scott asked, a mouthful of food muffling his words slightly.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full, young man,” Grandma admonished gently, but it was in that weary tone that all parents get after long years of saying the same things over and over and now they did it automatically without realising that no one was actually paying the slightest bit of attention. She took a delicate bite of her own food, making sure she chewed and swallowed before answering him.

“I have no idea where the things are in that attic, you boys have been terrible for storing your things in there over the years, it’s packed full of so much junk it’s going to take all day to sort through it.”

Scott groaned under his breath and stole a piece of Selene’s tomato from her side salad.

“I also want to take a quick look around town before we go back to the ranch. I spotted a sale on leisure suits in Colemans department store that I want to check out."

Scott groaned again, louder this time. "You said there wouldn't be any shopping. You lied to me, you got me here under false pretenses."

"Oh hush, young man, would you deny your Grandma a chance to have a little me time?" 

He shook his head, resigned to his fate. "No, Grandma."

“Besides, Selene can do their wedding gift registry there too, they have stores all over the world, it’ll save another trip later.”

“Wedding registry? Do they even need anything?”

“Everyone needs something, isn't that right, dear?” 

“Sure,” Selene agreed easily, scooping up a forkful of fluffy baked potato. 

“Really?” disbelief was obvious in Grandma's tone. “You’re not going to complain that you’re bored or that you’ll do it later?” 

“Nope,” she shook her head, taking a sip of her water. “John and I realised that we’re both too busy to help much and you and Mum have the time and experience. So, we’re bowing down to your superior knowledge and just letting you two get on with it however you want. We know you'll do what's best for us.”

“Oh,” Grandma paused for a second, eyes narrowing, watching for any sign of dishonesty or teasing but she obviously saw nothing of concern. “Well, that’s very sensible of you both.”

“We are nothing if not sensible,” Selene agreed, slicing her steak in half, stabbing one part with her fork, slightly viciously Scott thought, and depositing it on his plate.

“Don’t you want that?”

“Wedding diet,” she shrugged. 

He didn't look like he believed either of her answers and, when Grandma excused herself to go to the bathroom after they had finished eating, he said as much. 

"What's going on? It's not like you to back down so easily, you've been fighting their every decision the entire way through this wedding planning nightmare and now you're happy to sit back and let her do whatever she wants?" He crossed his arms, giving her his 'cut the crap' look. "Nope, not buying what you're selling."

"Honestly you can believe what you want to believe, but it's the truth, we're just letting her do what she wants to do now. We got sick of the stress and the arguing about it, we just wanted to get married and we realised we were getting to the point where we just wanted it over and done with and that's not how it should be. So we came to terms with it and now we're at peace with our decision."

His eyebrows rose, eyes going wide. "And John's OK with that too?" 

"Of course he is, do you honestly think I'd do anything he wasn't fully on board with?" 

Scott couldn't argue that. He knew she probably thought about John and his needs more than anyone else did. 

"No, you wouldn't. I'm just surprised, that's all. I never expected John to just give in and accept a full circus of a wedding."

She sipped her water, offering him the last few fries on her plate and her leftover steak.

"I guess he's mellowing and learning to chill, the love of a good woman can do that, you know. "

Scott snorted, not believing that for a second, but refrained from commenting as Grandma returned to the table. He stuffed the last few bites off Selene's plate into his mouth and went to pay for their meal. 

"Next stop, shopping!" Grandma grinned, practically rubbing her hands together. Selene was already regretting her recent life choices. 

Scott vanished almost as soon as they entered the store, returning twenty minutes later while Grandma was trying to decide between two identical leisure suits and Selene was looking like she wished the scanner in her hand was a stun gun she could use on herself.

“What are you doing?”

“Picking gifts,” she scanned the code on a toaster four times in quick succession.

“Erm, Sel, did you mean to-” 

Selene silenced him with a look and shook her head briefly, eyes darting towards Grandma.

He nodded, showing he got the message, though he was baffled as to why she would want that many. She and John didn't need any help with setting up a home, they already had their flat and the island which had every gadget and gizmo known to mankind and a few that weren't. Having an inventor and an engineer in house meant they never wanted for anything. And even if there was anything that John and Selene needed, it wasn't like they didn't have the funds to purchase it themselves. Yet here she was, busily shopping. 

Even as he watched she continued to wander the housewares section, picking out a wide range of useful items, scanning each at least twice. He stayed quiet, he knew her well enough by now, she never did anything without a good reason. 

His suspicions were confirmed when she handed back the scanner and he happened to catch a glance at the delivery address she had given, a women's shelter right there in town. 

Grandma had a number of bags in her possession by the time they left, none of which she would let him carry, although Selene was allowed to help and once again he was left feeling rather useless. Ordinarily he would have taken the bags without even asking, it wasn't done to let Grandma carry even the lightest things when she had one of her grandsons around to do the job for her. For him it was also a question of honour, he didn't go in for the notion that all women were weak and needed codling, incapable of doing anything for themselves, hell with the women in his life he'd be slaughtered if he dared imply such a thing. But he and his brothers had been brought up with rather old fashioned morals and values, you helped those that needed it, you always opened a door for someone regardless of gender, you said please and thank you and you acted like a gentleman. 

It took a little persuading to get Selene in the car after she had announced that she'd rather walk and burn off her lunch. She was lying, she was just terrified to get back in what she had called a 'metal death trap' driven by a crazy lady. 

Scott was a little, OK a lot, more daredevil than Selene was, plus he'd had prior experience of his grandmother's version of driving, but the witch hadn't and she had no desire to repeat the experience. Unfortunately the ranch was too far away for her to walk, she didn't know the area and he really didn't want to have to go out in a few hour's time to search for her when she inevitably got lost. 

He'd climbed into the car at the ranch, strapped in and settled back, more than comfortable with fast speeds. Selene on the other hand, had not. She had held the 'oh shit' handle above the window in a death grip and screamed near continuously as his Grandma had done her version of rally driving, dodging around cars she deemed too slow, letting her road rage out and had gone consistently over the speed limit by at least twenty miles an hour. 

Selene had emerged from their trip into town visibly shaken and swearing under her breath, vowing never to do that again. And yet, here she was and he was finding it highly amusing. 

"I hate you," she'd glared as he shoved her in the back seat. 

"No you don't, you love me," he grinned, following in after her in a show of solidarity, squashing his long legs in behind Grandma's seat. "I'll hold your hand, okay?" 

She narrowed her eyes but let him take her hand. 

"If I die out here you're explaining it to John, remember that."

"Noted," he laughed, squeezing her fingers reassuringly. 

"I apologise now if I break your hand when you're so close to full recovery." 

"I'm sure I can handle it," he assured her. How bad could it be?

"Oww," he groaned ten minutes later, flexing his fingers to get some feeling back into them. Very bad, it turned out. "I feel sorry for my brother if that's the kind of grip you have." 

"What was that?" Grandma asked as she placed her hand on the lock scanner and opened the door. 

"Nothing, Grandma," Selene called back, glaring at Scott as he snickered under his breath. "Hush your mouth," she hissed at him, making him laugh even more. "I can be gentle, I got mad skills and he’s never complained.”

"Methinks the lady doth protest too much."

"Methinks the man is a dickhead," she shot back, elbowing him gently in the ribs on his good side. 

"Now I'll know the reason he's walking funny has nothing to do with his space suit," he continued to taunt. 

"How dare!" She aimed a smack at the back of his head but he ducked out of the way, dodging aside just in time. 

"Kids! Are you planning on helping today, or not?" 

"Sorry, Grandma!" Scott grinned innocently at Selene, who rolled her eyes in return, following him into the house. 

***

Grandma had not been kidding when she'd said they had managed to accumulate a lot of stuff. They barely had room to sit on the attic floor amongst a sea of boxes, broken electricals and random objects that spilled out, filling the large space almost to the rafters. 

"This is going to take forever," Selene groaned, her eyes roaming their hoard. "How have you even managed to collect so much?" 

"There were seven of us," Scott shrugged. "We had a lot of hobbies."

Her eyes landed on a huge pile of stuffed toys taking up one entire corner with more spilling out of a few boxes, reminiscent of the one that now filled the corner of their bedroom. 

"Yep, I can see that. He does love his claw machines."

"That's nothing, he used to store them up all year and donate them to the kids ward every Christmas. He must have forgotten last time."

"Or it was when we moved to the island," Grandma suggested as she picked a box at random and dragged it out. 

"Yeah, that could have been the reason."

"Not this one," Grandma muttered, pushing the box aside and reaching for another. Selene peeked inside, seeing a few unfinished canvases, some mangled brushes and half empty tubes of paint. 

"Don't just stand there, make yourselves useful. You can start over there."

They snapped to attention, picking their way over to their designated section and got busy.

Selene dragged out some boxes, smacking Scott's hands away when he tried to help, not wanting him to hurt himself further, earning her a fair few frustrated growls. 

"I'm not an invalid, you know." 

"We know, but you also have to be careful," Grandma insisted. "You'll just have to be patient for a few more weeks."

"Patient, him?" 

"Hey, I can be patient!"

"Babe, you burnt your mouth last night because you ate a potato straight out of the oven."

"That's a lie…okay it's technically true, but that was a result of hunger, not impatience."

Selene just shook her head, pointed to a patch of floor and waited for him to sit down before she pushed a couple of boxes over for him to rifle through.

“We’re looking for my tiara mostly,” Grandma reminded them. “And my dress form, anything else is a bonus but not essential, although all the wedding things should be together. Let the hunt commence.”

For over two hours they dug their way through the piles of boxes, bags of old clothing, service trunks and vacuum bags, uncovering no end of lost or forgotten treasures in the process. 

Grandma seemed to be the only one that was actually paying any attention to their mission, Scott and Selene kept getting distracted. For Selene she was seeing everything in the attic for the first time and it was giving her a great insight into her surrogate family, while for Scott it was bringing back memories that he had mostly forgotten.

Every item seemed to buzz with a low level energy and Selene and Scott had turned it into a little game, she’d hold an item, tell him who’s energy she felt on it and who she thought it belonged to and he’d tell her if she was right or not. So far she was getting it right almost every time, but he was convinced that she could tell by looking and was currently searching for something harder while putting aside things that he thought his brothers would be happy to see again.

Selene was examining a cute little diorama of a coral reef that had obviously been made by Gordon as a project at some point when out of the corner of her eye she saw Scott pause in his rummaging.

“You okay?”

He jumped like he’d been shot, hurriedly tossing whatever it was that he had found into the bag by his feet where he was storing everything that was destined to make its way home to the island with them.

“What? Oh, sorry, got distracted, what did you say?”

“I asked if you were alright. You looked like you’d seen a ghost in that box.”

“Nah, nothing that exciting I can assure you,” he promised, but she couldn't help but notice that he tucked whatever it was further down into the bag. Her best friend senses were tingling but, just as he had accepted her weirdness earlier, so she gave him the same courtesy, backing off for now.

“Yes!” Grandma’s triumphant yell was accompanied by an avalanche of boxes as she located the dress form and, uncaring as to anything else at that moment, had dragged it out from the middle of the pile. “Help!”

Scott moved to help but Selene pushed him back down with a gentle hand to the shoulder. “Sit, stay, good Scott.”

He glared but she ignored it, too busy helping Grandma to maneuver her prize to the attic hatch and down the stairs.

This was pissing him off, he was getting so sick and tired of being treated like a delicate butterfly with an injured wing. He was fine! OK, so he was a little sore still but all of them had worked with more pain than this, getting injured on a rescue was all part of their job and one they barely even noticed now. If something hurt, you shook it off and powered through until you could down some painkillers and sleep it off. He didn't need this kind of treatment, he didn't need babying.

For want of anything better to do he turned to yet another box and began to excavate, searching for the elusive tiara. Honestly he had no idea what he was actually looking for, a tiara was a kind of crown wasn't it? Something to make the bride feel like a princess for the day, or a queen in the case of Grandma and probably Selene, knowing her.

Grandma had said that both she and their mother had worn it, that might be a clue. He closed his eyes, trying to conjure up the mental image of the rather faded and all together too familiar picture of his parents on their wedding day that sat on one of their bookshelves. But, unfortunately, as with most things you saw every day, you got used to it being there and inevitably failed to notice it properly and he found it hard to recall any real details. Eventually he gave it up as a lost cause.

“Just look for a crown,” he reminded himself.

“Are you still looking?” Selene asked, climbing through the hatch carefully, a cup of coffee in each hand.

“Where’s Grandma?” he asked, taking one of the mugs from her and sipping gratefully.

“She’s gone to look in the barn, she thinks the sewing machine might actually be in there.”

“This is going to take forever.”

“Not if we get on with it, this is important to her. I mean, I was just going to go with a flower crown or something but if this will make her happy then I’ll deal with it.”

“You’re being really creepy, Sel, creepier than normal I mean.”

Her mouth dropped open in mock shock, making him laugh.

“Look, let’s just get this done, the sooner we finish, the sooner we can get back home and start that new box set,” she cajoled.

“The one with the zombies?”

“That’s the one. I’ll even let you hide behind me if you get scared.”

“Sure, because I’m the one that gets scared. May I remind you that you’re the one that attacked Virgil with a wooden spoon because it was dark and you mistook him for one of the walking dead.”

“He was shambling, only zombies should shamble. I told him as much, it was his own fault really.” She refused to look at him, knowing he’d be grinning like an idiot and that would set her off too.

“He was shambling because his legs hurt.”

“No excuse. And don’t think I don’t see what you’re doing here, putting things off so I do the work,” she continued to dig through a box that obviously belonged to John, it was full of old research papers and projects, along with what looked to be rough drafts of one of his books. “Think he’d want us to take these home?”

“What is it?” Scott automatically reached for the box, grabbing the flap to drag it closer. “Ow, shit!”

“Scott! Will you watch your bloody wrist!”

She pushed the box aside and caught his arm, pulling it closer to examine it. The bandage had probably absorbed most of the pressure he’d exerted but it had obviously still hurt him.

“I’m fine, I just twisted it funny, that’s all.”

She squeezed lightly, making him hiss. “Sweetheart, that is hurting you, don’t lie to me, you know that doesn’t work.” She shifted closer so she could trap his arm under hers, holding him still while she gently massaged his sore wrist through the bandage.

“I don’t need your help,” he insisted, trying to pull away but she held him in place with her elbow, pinning his arm against her side. “This is ridiculous. It’s just a hurt wrist, it shouldn’t be putting me out of action like this.”

“It's not just a hurt wrist, you broke it, that's a bit different to a sprain. Now, will you please be sensible. It’s only a few weeks, we want you fighting fit and back to full health, not hurting yourself all over again because you’ve rushed it. How many times do I have to tell you?”

“Obviously more than this,” he grunted, forcing himself to relax as her fingers eased away some of the pain his dumb move had made. He knew she was right, he just didn’t want to admit it. “I just feel so useless right now, I’m not good to anyone.”

“Dumbass!” a swift smack to the back of his head made him jump. 

“Hey! No hitting!”

“You deserved it. How could you even think such a thing?”

“It’s the truth.”

“No, it isn’t, you’re throwing yourself a pity party, table for one.”

“You don’t understand,” she was making him angry again, something that had been happening far too easily and often over his weeks on the sidelines and he didn't like it. She was wrong though, he wasn’t being self pitying, it was the truth. He had spent the last four weeks having to watch his dad tire himself out helping out on rescues he shouldn't have been involved in, watching his brothers pull double shifts because he wasn’t there to pick up the slack. Hell, even John had come down on a couple of occasions to help out when there just wasn’t enough manpower to do the job. 

Usually they managed perfectly fine with their small crew, they all knew that they couldn’t save everyone and that they would have to make some difficult choices over where to attend and when to prioritise other rescues. The bigger the disaster, the more people involved, the higher up the list it went, one person's life versus twenty just couldn't be an option. It was the harsh reality of their job and one that no one liked to do. 

He had a new found appreciation for John, having taken over some of the monitoring duty while John was playing backup to Virgil, Gordon, Alan and his father. Scott had had to personally turn down two calls, passing them along to a local authority because their already limited resources were stretched to their limits and they couldn't physically help. He knew that logically but it didn’t make the knowledge any easier to deal with. It was something John dealt with on a weekly, if not daily basis and sometimes Scott wondered how his brother stayed so sane.

“Then talk to me, help me understand.” 

Yeah, maybe that went a long way towards John’s sanity, the fact that he had someone special to come home to. God, how he wished he had the same. 

“If I can’t do my job, what do I have? I’ve given up so much for International Rescue, we all have and I don't begrudge it, but it means that without it I’m next to useless, I have no purpose.”

He felt Selene shift, releasing his trapped arm so she could slide her arm around his waist, hugging him tight, her head resting on his good shoulder.

“I love you, but that’s utter rubbish.”

He snorted, not believing her.

“Fine, don’t believe me, but it’s true. You are far from useless. This is six weeks, it’s not forever.”

“I know,” he sighed. “But it feels like it. All it’s done is give me time, time to think about things that I’ve ignored for far too long.”

“Like what?” 

He paused, not knowing what to say or how to explain it. He glanced down at her, her face upturned to look at him, giving him her full attention. She reminded him of himself in so many ways, they had the same humour, liked the same things, the same music, the same movies, all of which had contributed to their closeness, it was like hanging out with himself. But when she was like this, listening intently, in one of her rare periods of quiet, she was so like his brother. 

John and Selene were a true partnership, working together seamlessly, seeming to have blended their lives effortlessly, each knowing when the other needed space and when they needed extra care. And she tried to do the same with him, with all of them, he knew that, but her bond with John was something special. 

He wasn’t one to really believe in destiny, fate or anything along those soppy, romantic lines, but if he had he would have said without a shadow of a doubt that those two belonged together, any idiot could see it. And he was jealous, there, he’d admitted it. Not that his brother had Selene, not in that way, he’d never see her as anything more than his best friend and surrogate sister, his partner in crime as much as Alan and Gordon were to each other, but he wanted what they had.

“I’m tired, Sel.”

“We all are, we’ve been up here a long time, do you want to take a break?”

“No, I didn’t mean right now, I just meant in general. I’m tired, I’m getting old, and what do I really have to show for it?”

“Old my arse! Babe, you’re only thirty-four, that's nothing. You’ve got so much going for you and you’re too dumb to see it.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be making me feel better? Calling me dumb is a strange way to go about that.”

“Don’t be dumb then or I wouldnt have to say it.”

“Mean.”

“Truthful. You’re amazing. You have achieved more in your, relatively short, life than most people could ever hope to do in a hundred years. You put yourself in danger every single day and you do it without complaint. Even now, when you’re supposed to be resting and it would be the perfect time to be lazy and selfish you care more about getting better, not for yourself but for the rest of the world. Not once did you say that you were bored or fed up and you wanted to be doing things for yourself.

“Well, I can’t lie and say I’m not bored out of my brain and itching to get back out there.”

“And you wouldn’t be you if you weren’t feeling that way. You love your job, you all do, it suits you, it’s part of you.”

“I just…” he paused, trying to think how to word it. “I guess...International Rescue was Dad’s dream, and when we lost him it gave us something to focus on, something to take our minds off what had happened. By keeping it going, building it up bigger and better, it was also a tribute to him. We knew we were giving up a lot to do this, but none of us minded. But, I guess, now that he’s back and you and John are getting married…” he trailed off.

“It’s making you think about how things might have been different?”

“Yeah, that’s about the size of it. I took on younger brothers, the business and the rescues without even really thinking about it, it’s not like I had a choice, and until recently I never felt like anything was missing.”

“But now you do?”

He nodded slowly. God it felt good to admit it, to talk about the thoughts that had been plaguing him for months. Now that he’d started, having gotten over that first hurdle of opening up it was easier to keep going.

“After Dad I just never wanted to risk that, to risk putting someone through that with me. We have a dangerous job and it comes with a lot of baggage as you well know and I didn’t think it would be fair to put that on someone I loved, I didn’t know how outsiders would handle it. Seeing us get hurt or worse, that’s the reality of the job. But then you came along and seeing how you were with John, with all of us really, I guess it gave me hope that there could be something more. That someone else could deal with this crazy family and all it brings. Maybe I can take that risk too.”

Selene nodded, understanding him completely. 

“Sweetheart, I can’t tell you what to do or promise you everything will work out and be alright, but I do know that you guys were never baggage for me, I never saw any of you that way, especially not John. All I saw was an amazing man that I fell for the second I saw him and I loved with all my heart. The four amazing men that came with him as a package deal were just a sweet bonus. I wouldn't be without any of you, but especially not you, you're one of the best things to come into my life, apart from John, obviously. And I know for a fact that anyone you give your heart to and who gives theirs in return will do so because they want to and they won't ever regret it. If it’s meant to be then it's meant to be, love always finds a way. Sometimes it just takes a while to catch up.”

“That’s sappy shit, you know that, right?”

“Yep, but that doesn’t stop it from being true.”

He inhaled deeply, letting her words float around in his head, his thoughts drifting as they sat in companionable silence, his cheek resting against the top of her head. He wanted to believe her, he wanted to have that same belief and hope that she seemed to possess, but it was hard. He’d seen the bad side of life far too often to believe in happy ever afters without some work. But maybe that was the point and the thing that John and Selene had proved, that everything in life took work, compromise and caring about the other instead of just yourself. He’d never thought himself to be a particularly selfish person, but he knew that he had had moments when he was younger that he bitterly regretted, moments that were still affecting him now. He’d made decisions for people he cared about that he’d had no right to make and he never wanted that to happen again.

“Do you think I deserve that?”

“Me calling you dumb? Sure I do.”

“No, idiot," he huffed out a frustrated breath. "It doesn’t matter, I’m being stupid.”

“Yeah, you are.” 

“Nice.”

“What are best friends for if not to tell you when you’re being stupid? But let me add something to this discussion. You deserve all the good things the world has to offer, everything, every single tiny little thing. And I am going to make it my mission in life to make sure you get them. You are the best and you deserve the best that life has to offer, in fact-”

“Why are you two still sitting around? Do you not want to go home tonight? I’m more than twice your age and I’ve done twice the work already. I found the sewing machine and I used the dolly to load it into the plane ready to go, we just need that tiara.”

“We’ve been looking, Grandma, it’s not anywhere,” Selene answered, clambering to her feet.

“It has to be, it should be with a whole box of stuff, there's a garter, a lucky horseshoe and the tiara. They were to be your something old, borrowed and blue.”

“I’m sure we can find something else-”

“No, we keep looking. Tracy’s don’t quit.”

***

“Grandma, it’s no good, we need to quit looking, we’ve checked every single box there is and it’s not here.” Scott wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, for once thankful for the bandage there. The attic was stuffy and hot and they were all suffering. 

“All but this one,” Selene nudged a box with her toe, one that sat near the hatch but had been pushed aside until last, their logic being that the ones they needed would likely be further back in the attic and buried rather than near the top of the pile.

“Maybe Mom stored them somewhere else?” Scott suggested gently.

“Maybe,” Grandma conceded, sighing deeply, visibly defeated. “I just so wanted to see it being worn again. You need your things, it’s tradition.”

“I know you really value tradition,” Selene started, easing her in gently, “but sometimes it’s nice to move away from that a little. In fact, I’ve already got my something blue.”

“You do?” Scott asked.

“Will I approve?” Grandma demanded to know. 

“I think so.”

“Well, what is it?”

Selene pointed at Scott. “I’ve got my best man.”

“Me?”

“A best man?”

“Hey, if John gets a best man, so do I. Plus I need someone to give me away, not that I am an object or piece of property but you know, tradition,” she smiled cheekily at Grandma.

“Me?”

“Yes, you, dumbass.”

“I assumed you’d want your brother to do it.”

Selene shrugged. “You assumed wrong. So, you in or out, fly boy?”

“Hell yeah, I’m in!”

Scott grabbed her in a one armed hug, pulling her in close. He couldn't believe she'd actually asked him that, that she'd chosen him over her own family. He knew she was as close to her brother as he was to his and just hoped that it wouldn't upset Adam in any way. The fact that she'd asked him meant so much, he couldn't even put it into words. He felt a lump form in his throat and he had to swallow a couple of times before he felt able to speak. “I’ll be my honour.”

“Thank you,” she smiled, hugging him back, feeling the prickle of tears but forcing them down.

“That does solve one problem,” Grandma agreed, looking a little misty eyed herself. She opened the box Selene had indicated, needing a distraction, giving it a cursory glance. “Oh my,” she laughed, reaching into the box and dragging something out. She brushed the dust off it and held it up for their inspection. “Hey," she joked, "you could always wear this.”

“Oh yeah, she definitely could.”

“That?” The look on Selene's face made her opinion on that option perfectly clear. “Seriously?”

“Well, we were looking for a family piece,” Grandma teased, continuing to hold it out to her.

“No way, that’s cheesy as fuck.”

“Language!”

“Sorry, Grandma, but no way am I wearing that.”

Scott sidled over, his previous melancholy mood forgotten in the face of potential. mischief. People always thought Gordon was the one to watch, but Selene knew better, as was evident by the big grin on his face. 

“I dare you.”

Selene stiffened, shooting him a glare. He smiled innocently, flashing his dimples. 

Damn him, he knew she could never resist a dare or his dimples of power.

“Damn it!” she huffed, snatching it out of Grandma's hand. “Fine, but if he laughs, I’m blaming you two.”


	57. The True Cost

“It’ll cost you.” 

He sighed, rolling his eyes behind his dark glasses. Didn’t it always? Everything in this world boiled down to money, fame or love, all the things that he deemed unimportant. They made you weak, either from lack of them or too much. 

“It always does, but, if we are to talk of such vulgar things as money, then I suggest you name your price quickly so we can be done with such unpleasantries.”

“I think fifty should do it, more if you’re feeling generous.”

“When have you ever known me to be generous? That is the problem with the world today, everyone wants something for nothing, minimum effort for maximum gain."

"Do you want me to do the job, or not?" 

Her tone gave him a mild flicker of annoyance. Did she not realise that it was he who was doing her the favour? By taking her on as an associate he was giving her a place in his master plan, albeit a small, virtually insignificant one. And that meant she would be protected for the time being. He had no real loyalty to those who worked for him but until such a time as they reached the end of their usefulness he would ensure they were excluded from his vision.

"The question is how much do you want it? Because let me assure you that you are nothing special, you are easily replaceable, one might even call you expendable."

The woman in front of him visibly stiffened, her posture going from cockily casual to high alert, his tone telling her in no uncertain terms that this was not a game of call your bluff. He was deadly serious and if she continued to answer back she'd be leaving with nothing, if he allowed her to leave at all. His words made his meaning perfectly clear, she knew his power, she knew the vastness of his reach. He had cast his net wider than any of them could imagine and they still knew barely a quarter of it. She herself had paid for his help, paid for exposure and opportunities that only he could give, she knew the kind of pies he had his fingers in.

She made the wise choice. 

"I want the job, I'm sorry, I overstepped."

He smiled, mildly amused by her back peddling, although it was something he was used to. They all underestimated him, they all took one look at his average appearance, heard his soft toned voice and assumed him to be a pushover with too much money and ambition. They needed only to look in his eyes to see the truth and if they didn't see it themselves, he'd make them. 

"As I thought. You want to keep your little empire, I assume? Keep your flock of sheep that follow you like lambs to the slaughter? Watching every video, hanging on your every word? You underestimate the power you could wield if you only used it the right way. You need to think bigger, and I can help you with that, once you prove yourself useful, that is.”

“You know I do, you know that my name, my image is all I have but it’s not enough, I need more.”

“Of course you do, and you shall have it, just as long as you do as you’re told. Enough of the attitude, I won’t stand for it. I’m trusting that you are smart enough to not get caught, but if you are, know that every trace of our involvement will be erased and you will be on your own. Understand?”

She gulped but nodded, visibly pulling herself together. It didn’t make much difference to her in the grand scheme of things, she’d been on her own most of her life, why would now be any different?

“The payment will reach your account within the hour, don’t make me regret it.”

“I won’t.”

“Good, now go, I tire of you.”

She held in the scowl that wanted to form on her face; one because she knew that he wouldn’t stand for any more of her attitude and two because frowning led to wrinkles she could ill afford to have. 

The door closed behind her but almost immediately there was a beep on his phone line. He sighed, was he never to have any peace? 

“Yes?”

“You wanted to speak with me?” 

The man on the screen was handsome enough, he supposed, if you were into that sort of thing, that smarmy too perfect look that most seemed to fawn over. It had certainly not hindered him in any way if his reputation was anything to go by.

“What have you discovered?” He didn’t mince his words, he had no time for such niceties as enquiring as to his associate’s health, he didn’t want to know them, he didn’t care about them or their feelings, just their usefulness. If his caller cared at all about his indifference towards him he didn’t let on.

“They have continued to make plans without any thought to security, stupid really. As predicted, the entirety of International Rescue will be in attendance, as well as family and friends, some of which could be interesting.”

“Their arrogance is no surprise to me, they have always loved the spotlight,” he mused. He’d heard enough about their head of security, heard the high ups singing her praises, be it deserved or not. They did little to hide who they were, having grown bolder or simply too lazy to care, since the disappearance of Jeff Tracy but now that he had been found they seemed more foolhardy than ever. He’d had no doubt that they would keep company with only the most influential of people but this event was presenting them to him on a platter like an all you could eat buffet.

“I have the date, time and location. I do not yet have the full guest list but every company involved in the planning has been identified, florists, caterers, chauffeur, I know them all.”

“And you have people in place?”

“I do.”

“Excellent, keep updating me, but remember, discretion is key.”

“No problem, boss.” The video link clicked off.

“So that’s when we make our move?” The burly man seated at the end of the conference table piped up, clearly delighted by the prospect.

“Possibly,” he hedged, not wanting to give them too much encouragement, he’d found that once he gave them a little leash they would run far too fast with it, stretching it to its limits.

“We could take them all out so easily, just blow up the entire place , BOOM, see ya Thunderbirds.”

A hand hit Frankie around the back of the head, making him yelp, as he turned, glare firmly on his face, to see Camilla settling back into her chair.

“Do you know nothing?” she hissed.

“What? What did I say?”

Idiots, he was working with idiots. 

“Subtlety is key here,” he steepled his fingers, giving his minion a look that could cut glass. “Tell me, what do you think would happen if the world's sweethearts were killed at a wedding of all places, one of theirs no less?”

“They would all be dead,” Frankie strugged, clearly not seeing the big picture.

“They would become martyrs,” he continued as patiently as he could. “That is not what we want. If they were to die now they would be immortalised as gods, they would become even more of a beacon than they are now. They would inspire an uprising of copycats and do gooders that would put a serious crimp in our vision. They are but the first piece of the puzzle, a big cog in the machine, yes, but not the entirety. First, we focus on them, we find out all we can about them, we observe and send them a message, we want them on edge, we want them to mess up. It will happen, I can guarantee it, it’s inevitable.”

“I don’t get it.”

“Because you are idiot,” Camilla sneered, her accent growing more pronounced the more riled she became. She was a fiery one, hot of temper and did not suffer fools. “You have muscles but not brain. When I work, I know when to move and when to stay in the shadows, I am stealth, like cat. I watch, I wait, I plan.”

“You did nothing in your job, all you did was play the damsel in distress while waiting on a mountain,” Frankie shot back.

“I did nothing? You dare to say such a thing to me?”

“Camilla did her job just as she was asked to do. She was for reconnaissance only and she performed perfectly. The tracker was on site far longer than we had hoped for and while the Commander was not as injured as I would have liked it was enough to shake their confidence. They will be on edge now and that will make them sloppy. ”

“But if we aren’t taking them out now what good is it?” Frankie groaned, earning himself another smack.

“They are not our only focus, they are not the big picture, they are but a part of the whole. And you two are not my only helpers, you will see when the time comes. Patience is a virtue and one that has served me well over the years. But I warn you now, if your impatience leads to incompetence I won’t hesitate to cut you free like the deadweight you are.”

He let his threat lie heavy in the air, nothing more was needed to be said. Frankie knew, everyone knew.

***

“Why are we getting packages for people that don’t even live here?” Gordon asked, guiding the dolly into the lounge with the latest pick up from the mainland.

“We are? Let me see,” Scott held out his hand for one of the packages and read the label. “Who the hell is Cassandra Faye?”

“Oh, that’s mine,” Selene interrupted, having just arrived in the lounge to retrieve her mail. She grabbed the packaged out of his hand before he could be tempted to nose inside it, she knew him far too well.

“You’re Cassandra Faye?” Gordon goggled. “Where did that come from?”

“Those are my middle names,” she answered without thinking although her brain quickly caught up with her mouth. “Don’t you dare laugh at them!” she warned him with a glare. 

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he promised, although the grin on his face told a different story and she didn’t believe him for a second. “Do I assume that John Glenn is our dear brother?”

“You assume right, just pile them up and no peeking.”

“The fact that this one has a delivery note of the Glenn/Faye wedding should have told you all you needed to know,” Scott told him as he added another package to the growing pile.

“Yep,” she didn’t elaborate further.

“Is there any reason that you’re not using your own names?” Virgil asked, entering the lounge carefully, carrying a large mug of coffee with all the care of a father carrying his newborn, his big hands cradling it protectively.

“We figured that if we didn’t use our real names it would be harder to leak every single detail. It’s not fun having our every purchase examined and judged online. So we got smart about it.”

“Makes sense,” Virgil conceded, sitting down just as carefully and taking a large gulp of his coffee.

“International Rescue, we have a situation.” The sudden appearance of John’s hologram projecting from his portrait made more than one of them jump.

“Yeah, I’d say we do, they just found out my middle names,” Selene answered, not even looking up from the packages she was sorting through.

“That’s…” John blinked, blindsided by this new information she had tossed his way the second he had appeared. “Not the situation I meant,” he finished.

“What is the actual emergency, Thunderbird Five?” Scott stepped in to get the conversation back on track.

“A yacht that was travelling via Bermuda on a return trip to Europe has crashed into a cruise liner. The liner is fine other than a few scrapes that can be easily patched but the yacht is another story. We need to take Thunderbird Four there with the patching equipment and pumps just in case it’s salvageable. It’s hard to tell right now, all I’ve been told is that they are taking on water. No injuries reported as yet thought.”

“I never get to finish my coffee,” Virgil sighed, putting down his mug, already heading to his launch chute.

“Meet you there,” Gordon tossed back over his shoulder as he too vanished.

“And then there were two,” Scott muttered, already wearing what Selene called his pre-frown, not quite a full on frown but like it was hovering in the background ready to materialise with very little encouragement.

“It won’t be that bad,” she soothed. “You can help me sort this stuff out if you want something to do,” she gestured to the pile of packages.

“Joy,” he rolled his eyes. “Why couldn’t that mountain have finished me off?”

“You know what, screw you, I’m trying to be nice here, I’m trying to be helpful.”

“By getting me to help you with things you don’t want to do? How is that helping me?”

“I guess it isn’t, sorry to have bothered you with my ridiculous attempt at distracting you.”

“I don’t need distracting like a bored child, I need to be out there with them not stuck here wit-” he paused, not wanting to finish his sentence, realising immediately that he had gone too far. As evident by the hurt look on her face. 

“Not here with me, yep, I get it. Totally feeling ya there, boy.” Without saying another word she left the room, leaving the packages behind, not wanting to deal with any of it. If she stayed behind she’d say something she'd regret. 

“Sel, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that,” he started but she had already gone. On the other side of the island he heard the rumble of Two’s engines as she finished taxiing down her runway and left the island. 

Damn. He shouldn't have done that, he knew she was only trying to help, but frustration and stubbornness were his constant companion at the moment and it was hard to not snap. It was true what they say, you take your moods out on those closest to you and usually she could take it. She'd always fight back, she’d call him out on his bullshit, forcing him to stop and think. But not today, today she had done something else entirely and honestly her reaction had been the last thing he’d expected.

A beep from the comms caught his attention and he turned expecting to see Virgil calling in, instead he came face to face with John.

“Did you want Selene? She just left, no idea where she’s gone.”

“She won’t have gone far, but no, unfortunately we’ve had another call.”

“Another one? What is it now?”

“A crane operator is trapped in his cabin at the top of his rig. From what I can tell by my scans and from what the operator told me, the crane just tipped over and the metal locking supports buckled, that caused the crane to topple and collapse into the building they were erecting. No one has been hurt, thankfully, but it’s only a matter of time.”

“That doesn’t sound good.”

“Indeed. The operator, Artie Simms, said that they were being very careful, all the packs he was lifting were labeled according to weight and they made sure not to overload it, but it seems that the crane might not have been up to the job. I’ve checked into the company and they have health and safety violations as long as my arm, all they do is switch to another director and change the name and continue as they were. They use contractors, so none of their workers suspected anything was amiss.”

“Where is he now, can they get to him?”

“Negative, they have no other cranes in operation and to get one to the area would take too long, it could collapse further at any moment. We need to get out there as soon as possible, but Virgil and Gordon haven’t even reached the yacht yet so they can’t help.”

“John, I can’t fly yet and Alan and Kayo won’t be back from Mars for at least another day.”

“I know, that’s why I alerted Dad first. He’s the only one that can do it.”

Scott nodded, trying not to let his annoyance show on his face. His brother spoke the truth but he didn’t have to like it.

“He’s heading down to the hangar now,” John continued, either not noticing the effect his words had on his brother or choosing not to pay any attention to them, just as Scott would want him to. “Do you want to stay on the line or are you busy?”

Scott snorted at the very thought that someone might assume he was busy. He had nothing to do, not one single thing which was even more frustrating than ever now that he was mostly healed and was just waiting for Grandma to clear him for duty, although she was taking her sweet time over it. When he’d been in a cast and actually hurting it had been easier to sit still, now he was feeling fine and just wanted to get back out there. 

“Do I take that as a no to being busy?” John asked, one eyebrow quirking up.

“Good guess.”

“I’ll keep you in the loop then.” John’s hologram blinked out of existence, leaving Scott alone once more.

This was the part that he hated the most, sitting and waiting to hear what was going on, waiting to be needed, waiting to be useful. They had managed to stumble along quite well while he’d been out of action, due mostly to the fact that they all knew their jobs and did them well with little prompting needed. 

To be honest, Scott had expected it to be harder on all of them, especially with Jeff having to step up as he was now. He’d expected there to be another powerplay brewing, another time where Jeff thought he knew best and refused to listen to reason. But to everyone’s surprise he hadn’t, in fact Jeff seemed to not want to be there at all.

After receiving, and subsequently accepting, the offer of work from Lee, Jeff had been spending more and more time either at the GDF headquarters or at Tracy College in Kansas where they were working to develop an extensive training program for young astronauts that wanted to work for GDF and government divisions rather than research or exploration. It required a different skill set than your standard astronaut training. 

Since space travel had become more accessible, with ventures such as hotels, mining, goods transportation and the like, more and more people were being space rated. The training programs were now split into different levels. A basic first level qualification, which allowed them to work in space, be it in hospitality or travel but not get themselves there under their own steam. Second level involved the need for basic space survival skills, this was more for people who would be working either on the surface of a planet or spent a lot of time up there on their own, be it for haulage or ferrying travelers. And the third level which specialised in more military based training, the running of space stations, piloting and maintaining space crafts, advanced deep space survival techniques and even law enforcement. That was the area that Lee and Jeff were working on. Their experience over the years was invaluable, their techniques still in use and unable to be surpassed and it was keeping them rather busy.

Scott hated that he was the reason their dad was basically working two jobs at his age. It was taking him away from a job that he genuinely seemed to enjoy. By having to cover for Scott he was pulling double duty, working from the Island as much as he could so as to be on standby should International Rescue need him. Jeff should have been taking it easier and they could all see the strain it was putting on him, but not once had he gone back on his word and made things difficult for the family or refused to help. He wouldn't, none of them would. Their job was far too important for that. 

He just wished Jeff hadn't been put in that position because of him. Oh, he knew it wasn't his fault, not really. On a normal day, on any other rescue he would never have lost control like that. He knew his equipment almost as well as Virgil did his and he treated his jetpack, much like Thunderbird One, as an extension of himself. No, he'd done nothing wrong, but he had been targeted and he didn't know why. He didn't know if it was a personal attack, if he'd been singled out and picked specifically, or if they had just been after a Thunderbird and any one would have done. What worried him now was the thought that they might not have been content with hurting him, they might have turned their sights on someone else, like his brothers or their father. He could handle being hurt, he could handle any amount of pain if it meant they were safe, as long as it wasn't them. 

He stood up and crossed to the closed windows, watching as the swimming pool slid back to reveal the entrance to the hangar beneath. He heard the sound of One's engines, felt the vibrations deep in his bones and missed it like a physical ache in his chest. He closed his eyes as her sleek grey body shot into the air, not wanting to watch. He just wanted to be up there in her, doing his job, as he always had. 

It took thirty-six minutes of pacing before John called back with an update, in which time Scott had almost given up hope of anyone remembering he existed. He wasn’t good at this, this waiting, usually Selene or Grandma were with him and even though he was still worried, having someone there made it more bearable. Now he had nothing but his own thoughts to occupy him, and they didn’t make for pleasant viewing.

He’d been a dick to Selene, he knew that, and knew he’d have to track her down and apologise very soon, she’d only been trying to help, but what troubled him more was her reaction, that was something he needed to get to the bottom of and something he probably had to admit to John. He wasn’t sure what he was dreading more.

“Thunderbird Five to base.”

Speak of the devil and he shall appear.

“Go ahead, John.”

“Virgil and Gordon should be on their way back in under an hour. They couldn’t patch the leak in the yacht, it was too badly damaged, but they got all the crew on board Two and are towing the boat back to port for repairs.”

“That’s good news.”

“It’s one of the better outcomes.”

“How’s Dad getting on?”

“He just got there, I’m patching him through now.”

Jeff didn’t have a portrait, and so his holographic torso popped up from the projector on the table top.

“How’s it going, Dad?” Scott asked while mentally schooling his face into one that looked supportive and understanding, rather than grumpy and in need of a time out.

“I’m just moving in to pick up the crane operator now, they’ve evacuated the area of all non essential staff and emergency services,” Jeff reported as he began to maneuver the nose of One closer.

“Wait, Dad!” Scott started but it was too late, the downward thrust of the engines hit the crane, causing it to wobble dangerously. Thankfully Jeff realised in time and backed away, allowing the crane to stabilize although the shocked yell of the operator could still be heard.

“New plan?” Scott asked.

“New plan,” Jeff agreed. 

***

Selene tossed her tablet aside, beyond done with everything. She wasn’t in the mood to deal with any of this, there were a million other things she’d rather be doing than checking things off lists and chasing up on cake decorations. Why did they even need a cake? Who made that law? And why did it have to be a multi-tiered monstrosity of flowers and swirls? That seemed to be all they were ever offered and all they saw from Grandma and her mother. Who made weddings into nothing but a chance to show off what bad taste you had? When did that become the requirement? Go big or go home shouldn’t count in this. She really didn’t care for any of it, not the planning, not the venue, not the table decorations or the flowers. Yet she had to care, she had to make an effort and turn into someone that thought about and talked about nothing but her wedding. It sucked, she wanted off this trainwreck. She wanted John.

Poking the comm on the bedside table to activate its listening device she needed only to speak his name, it was their equivalent of voice activated speed dial. He popped up instantly, although he looked a little distracted.

“Hi, did you need something?”

“I need to know why we didn’t choose to run away to vegas.”

“Because we are idiots with too much consideration for our families, so now we are idiots that are seriously regretting our choices,” he sighed. 

“You speak such truth, my love,” she answered, her eyes closed as she lay back against the pillows.

“It’s taken you long enough to admit it, but I’ll take it.” John paused for a few moments to fiddle with something off screen. “Virgil and Gordon are on their way back and Dad shouldn’t be too far behind.”

“That’s good, if they’re back this soon it means everything went as well as it could.”

“Sure does,” he paused again, not really wanting to kick the hornet's nest, she’d been rather tense lately, but felt he probably needed to. “Is there any reason you’re hiding in bed to call me rather than being up there with Scott? I know you worry and like to listen to the rescues so usually you're right there with us.”

“Sometimes I think you’re too observant,” she muttered, trying to dredge up a glare but failing to muster more than a brief crinkling of her forehead. “No, no reason, I just needed some quiet time.”

John didn’t look like he believed her, not for a second, so it was little surprise to her that not ten minutes after they said goodbye there was a knock on the door. She frowned, wondering just why he’d knock on his own bedroom door, but her question was answered by the door swinging open and Scott coming in.

“Budge over.” He made a shooing motion with his hand and she did as she was told, shifting to make room for him to join her. He flopped down next to her, not really knowing what to say or do next. It wasn't like he hadn't snapped before but she had always taken it with such good humour that he'd never had to deal with this sort of situation before. 

At a loss he simply nudged her with his shoulder. It took a beat or two before she nudged him back. 

"Dickhead." 

"Bitch."

Another moment passed before they both lost the fight and started laughing. 

"I'm sorry," he started, knowing that he had been the one in the wrong. "I shouldn't have snapped at you, I know you were just trying to help and I know I've been a grumpy bastard lately so I wouldn't want to hang out with me either."

"It's OK, I've been just as bad;, grumpy bitch and a grumpy bastard, this is why we're friends. I shouldn't have left like that, it wasn't your fault."

Scott sighed, leaning his head against hers when she shifted to rest against his shoulder. "I know you're just trying to be nice, but I appreciate the sentiment."

"So you should."

He sniggered again, feeling a silly sense of relief that things were OK between them. If he'd learnt anything over the years it was that communication really was key, he just sometimes needed a little reminder. Letting things fester, never saying what you truly thought or felt, was a recipe for disaster that he knew all too well. The situation with his father had proved that. He knew that things had blown up, becoming worse than they should have been because he hadn't had the balls to stand up for his rights or his opinions and people had gotten hurt because of it. 

Honesty was the best policy and it was something he was trying to put into practice in all areas, including his personal life. He'd watched the way John and Selene were together, the bond they had because of who they were, the honest and straightforward way they interacted, it was something he desperately wanted. He'd had it once before and now that he could be truly honest with himself too, he'd finally allowed himself to believe that he could have it again and he didn't want to risk messing it up. He was older and supposedly wiser now and had little time for games, and he'd seen that letting your heart rule your head occasionally wasn't a bad thing. 

Selene had a policy of never going to sleep angry if she could help it, she'd always try to talk things out and make things right first. For all her contrary, argumentative ways she was always the first to step up and accept responsibility for any part she had played in an argument or in the hurting of feelings. She believed in owning your mistakes in order to grow as a person, to earn the trust that people gave her and he'd been trying to follow her example. 

"John said the rescues went well." 

Selene's sudden comment jolted him out of his musings and it took him a second to gather up the conversational reins and help get it back on track. 

"Yeah, they did. Dad had some trouble but he did well. He went with his gut and he made the right decision, the same one I would have made, but I appreciated the fact that he asked my opinion on it and trusted my superior knowledge of our equipment, which he's still learning. He did well, we didn't argue, he didn't take over and I kept my temper."

She nodded. "I guess that's all you can hope for in your line of work."

"Yep," 

"So what's really wrong?" 

He never could hide anything from her, she was like Grandma but with a fouler mouth. He didn't want to put his thoughts into words, but he owed her that much, he'd been a grumpy shit and she deserved to know why. 

"I can't help but be worried," he started, trying to figure out how to explain what was on his mind. "I know that there is always a possibility that things could go wrong, it's the risk we all take every day of our lives."

She nodded to indicate that she understood and was listening but stayed quiet. Much like John she knew the value of when not to interrupt and just let people talk, for however long it took for them to gather and purge all the negative thoughts inside them and make their point. 

"I think what's worrying me the most is the uncertainty that's there now. I trust our equipment, I trust my brothers and Dad to stay as safe as they can, but I was staying safe, I was playing by the same rules and look what happened to me. I had no control over it. That woman I went to help, she was just like any other rescue, nothing different, nothing seemed off, nothing out of the ordinary to spot."

Selene stayed quiet but encouraged him to continue to share his thoughts with a brief nod. 

"I don't blame anyone, not John for not noticing anything, not myself for how I tried to help her, not Brians for not discovering the disruptor sooner, or Kayo, John and EOS for failing to track her down or even identify her. The only one to blame here is her for doing it."

"That's right," Selene agreed. "You all treated the rescue as you would any other, you went out and you did your job, trying to save someone, you did your best."

"Oh, I know I did, that's not what's worrying me, it's the fact that we don't know where she is or who she is, she could be anywhere. She obviously had some help to get down off that mountain as quickly and invisibly as she did. If I didn't know better I'd have said we were still dealing with the Chaos Crew, but Colonel Casey has assured us that they are still very much behind bars, as is The Hood, but it was straight out of their playbook. A cloaked craft is the only explanation, John would have seen anything else."

"And it's the uncertainty that's making things worse," she stated, not even bothering to form it as a question, she could see the truth in his eyes. 

"Yeah," he shifted restlessly, uncomfortable with her scrutiny but knowing he had to put up with it, you always did when unloading to Selene. She always knew when you were hiding something from her, she always knew your true emotions with just a touch and if her hand on his arm was any indication she was getting a healthy dose of his frustration. 

"It's not knowing if or when she will strike again, or should I say they, because I doubt she was working alone, and I suspect she has some serious resources behind her if even John couldn't find out anything about her. She hasn't slipped up once in six weeks. I'm not big headed enough to think she was after me personally, although we can't rule it out, but that means she's likely to try again and I'd bet money she'll target someone else. My brothers could be in danger and there's nothing I can do about it. I can't ground them, I can't cease operations just because of this."

"Of course you can't, you wouldn't be you if you did. You continued throughout the threats of the Chaos Crew and The Hood, you went through three years of that. You didn't let them stop you then and you won't let them now. You went out there and you continued to help people, you did what you always do, put yourselves last over everyone else. This time is no different."

"But it is though, because at least then we knew who and what we were dealing with, this time we're completely in the dark."

"I know it seems that way, and I'm not meaning to belittle it because I understand exactly what you mean, but we have to deal with the facts here. We don't know anything for sure about her, but I know something for sure about you guys, and that is the fact that you won't stop no matter what. So all you can do is be on alert, be careful, be cautious, but don't let it control you. The people of the world trust you to be there to save them when they need it and you will continue to be there. All you can do is your best, as you always do. We don't look for problems, babe, we fight them when they appear, no matter how hard that is."

He nodded, knowing she was right but having nothing to say in response. As always happened when they had nothing with which to continue the conversation they lapsed into a comfortable silence. That was until his brain reminded him of something that had been bugging him and he just had to ask. 

"Cassandra Faye? Where did those names come from? They are nothing like Selene."

"Oh, well there's a story to that. I was conceived while Mum and Dad were on holiday in Greece. Mum had fallen in love with a statue of Selene, the moon goddess, she thought she was so beautiful. Dad bought her a little copy of the statue at a gift shop and when she found out she was pregnant she decided that if she had a girl she'd name her Selene, so here I am."

"That's nice, obviously you know who we were named after, but what about the rest?" 

"Cassandra was my great, great, great, probably more greats, grandmother on Dad's side I think. Faye apparently came about because when Dad held me for the first time he said that I looked like a little fairy, all pointy chinned and too pretty to be real. After a few years of knowing me Mum said it was because I was a changeling who had been left by the fairies because I was such a difficult child, not that I was naughty, I was just curious and apparently quite argumentative. I can't see it myself."

"Oh no, not at all."

She elbowed him lightly, pretending to glare but not managing to maintain it.

"Was this our longest fight?" Scott teased, elbowing her back. 

"Yeah, all of two hours, how did we cope?

"Who knows, but I do know I need coffee. You coming?" 

"Sure, as long as you're not just asking me so I'll make it."

"Would I do that?" 

"Every moment of every day." 

"You wound me," he dropped his arm around her shoulders as they headed to the kitchen. "I thought we were friends?" 

"Friends always tell the truth, I can't help it if you don't want to hear it," she teased, not knowing just how well she had hit the nail on the head. He made a mental note to talk to John about her reaction, it needed keeping an eye on. She was keeping something to herself, that was one thing he knew for certain. The importance of the truth was non negotiable in their family and their line of work, but they were all guilty of the crime of omittance now and then, often to their detriment. Hurt feelings and broken trust, that was the true cost of dishonesty and he wouldn't stand for it again, not from anyone close to him and not from himself. As soon as John was home he'd be having words with him.


	58. Penis Trees

"That looks disgusting."

"I'm not asking you to eat it, am I?" Selene snapped as she continued to vigorously stir the bubbling pot on the stove. 

Scott risked another glance into the big saucepan she was standing guard over. It was half full with a greyish, or possibly beige, looking sludge into which she was tossing little sprinkles of something that might be spices but could quite as easily be graveyard dirt, ground up mummy bones or some such thing, you never knew with her. Steam was drifting out every time she stirred it and he was half expecting her to start cackling, she was looking a little wild and a lot pissed off. 

No way was he going near that. 

"Is there any chance I could talk you into making something a bit tastier? I need to keep my strength up now I'm back in my 'bird." 

"Not a chance in hell, this is all I'm making, take it or leave it, I'm not running a restaurant." She continued to stir as fast as she could, convinced that if she stopped for even a second it would congeal into something even less edible than it currently was. Her hair flopped down over her shoulder, swinging into her face for the fourth time and she shook it back with a frustrated huff. This had soooo better be worth it. Maybe that was it? Maybe you lost weight because of the sheer physical effort that went into the preparation of this wonder porridge. 

"I'll leave it," Scott shrugged, moving towards the fridge. 

Selene swapped hands and continued to stir while using her free hand to flip him the bird, causing her hair to flop forward again. "Gahhh, fuck off!" 

"What did I do?" Gordon yelped. He'd only just come down but now he was seriously debating leaving again. 

John put down his tablet and prepared for battle, stepping in to rescue his brother and subdue his girl who had been growing increasingly grumpy as the days wore on. She was well known for having a bit of a temper, but he'd always thought she was a little like a hurricane. She came in strong but then, just as quickly as she blew up, it was over, her anger fading into laughter. Although recently he'd noticed that there had been a distinct lack of laughter to counter her stormy personality. 

Selene stilled as gentle hands caught her hair and swept it back from her face, fingers combing it into some semblance of order, taking longer than was probably necessary, before dividing it into three sections. She let herself relax just a tiny bit, enjoying the attention for a moment, her spoon pausing until she remembered what she was supposed to be doing and snapped back to reality, stirring even harder, the beige mess slurping and slopping around the pan. 

John was glad he was standing behind her so she couldn't see his face as he risked a look inside the pan. He loved her, but he did not want to touch that mess. 

"Are you her hairdresser now? What's next, a pedicure? Maybe wax her legs for her?" 

John shot a glare at Gordon before returning to his task, concentrating on braiding her hair as neatly as possible. He shouldn't have intervened, he should've let her smack him. 

Selene sighed gratefully, still attacking the sludge like it had personally offended her. Holding her hair with one hand he dug in his pocket and found a hair tie to secure it in place. 

He stepped back to admire his handiwork, it wasn't pretty but it was serviceable and that was better than nothing. He dropped a soft kiss on the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder, making her shiver, just because he could, and headed to the fridge in search of a drink. 

"Thanks," she said distractedly, inspecting the contents of her pan. Should it look like that? 

He didn't take it personally, she put up with his distracted half conversations often enough when he was occupied with work. 

"How much longer do I need to stir this shit?" 

He checked his watch. "Two more minutes," he answered before continuing his search. Where was all the juice? Why were his brothers incapable of replacing the cartons they drank with a fresh one so it could chill? He hated warm juice but it looked like he'd have to open a new one from the store cupboard, and people wondered why he preferred his own space. He dug a little deeper just in case one was hiding at the back. 

"What are you looking for in there, your manhood? Maybe you should check her handbag. If that's what getting engaged does to you, you can count me out."

Half an orange hit Gordon square on the nose, leaving him spluttering in shock. 

"That was a very manly throw," Scott laughed, having scrounged up some toast and retreated to a safe distance. There was no way he was getting within whacking range again having been the unlucky recipient of a few well placed smacks the past week from the grumpy witch. "I don't think he has anything to worry about."

"I'm not that kind of witch anyway," Selene muttered distractedly. 

"What kind of witch?" John asked, confused. Had he missed something? Hadn't Gordon just been insinuating that he'd lost his balls? How had they moved on to witches, specifically his? 

"Apparently, in the middle ages, witches would steal a man's penis and keep it as a pet," Selene answered, not looking up from her task. 

"Witches did what now?" Scott choked. He'd never get used to the kind of conversations that were now apparently the norm for them when she was around. 

"All witches are penis snatchers. This is according to the Malleus Maleficarum, obviously."

"Obviously," Gordon agreed, casting a look at John. "Who doesn't know that it included penis grabbing witches...erm…remind me what it is again?"

"The Hammer of Witches," John supplied. "Written by Heinrich Kramer as a guide to the evil that are witches, his words, not mine," he added when Selene squeaked a protest. "He wrote it around two hundred years before the witchfinder general came along with his book, The Discovery of Witches, essentially the witch hunting Bible, and then things got nasty."

"Nastier," Selene corrected. "Witches always get the blame, we aren't evil, we're just misunderstood and convenient scapegoats. Need a villian in a fairy tale, chuck in a witch! Crops aren't growing? Must be that bitch in the woods, she doesn't want a husband so of course she's boinking Satan."

"There was a witchfinder general?" Gordon asked, trying to distract her, he didn't want to even touch on what Selene had just ranted out, she was in a dangerous mood. 

John gave up on his quest for juice and settled for a bottle of water instead, returning to the table. 

"Of course there was. There's always been men that like to big themselves up with a self appointment title, it makes them feel important," Selene's spoon was slowing as she grew tired and she swapped arms again for the last leg. "If witches had been stealing dicks left, right and center I'm sure they would have left theirs alone, hardly a trophy, are they? Can you say compensating?" 

All three men snuck a quick glance down at their crotches. Compensating? Selene was a harsh woman when she wanted to be. 

"I knew there were witch hunts, obviously everyone's heard of Salem, and that they could get pretty nasty, but I didn't realise there was an actual bible for it," Scott mused, amazed at how that titbit of information had managed to pass him by. 

"Oh, yeah. I mean, he was English so you might not have heard as much about him but it was his book that everyone used as a guide to the torture and execution of hundreds of 'witches' over the years that witch hunting was at its peak," Selene continued. 

"Did they hunt them because they were worried about their crown jewels?" Gordon laughed. 

"No, they hunted them for the same reason a priest wrote the accusations in the first place, because they were worried that any woman who knows her own mind, remains unmarried and lives alone while she earns her own money must be out to emasculate them and needs to be stopped," Selene huffed, wishing she had never started the conversation in the first place. She should have known how it would go down. Honestly, after all this time she should have known better. 

John's watch beeped and she collapsed against the counter, dropping the spoon. "Finally."

"At the risk of hearing more than I want to but being too curious not to ask, what did they do with their new pets?" Scott asked. 

Selene grabbed a few bowls and dug into the already congealing porridge. Seriously? She'd only just stopped stirring the shit. "They kept them in nests in a tree and fed them oats. Penis trees were the in thing apparently."

"Penis trees?" John blinked. That was a new one, even to him. Since he was marrying a witch he'd thought it important to know as much about them as he could, including the history that surrounded them, although Selene had said that she didn't know of any actual witches that had been caught, tried and executed. He'd dug deep but somehow penis trees had passed him by, he wasn't quite sure if that was a good thing or not. 

"Oats? How the hell do you feed a penis anything, let alone oats?" Gordon had to know.

"Would you ever take it off the tree and carry it around in your handbag like a tiny dog?" Scott tossed in. 

"If she did there would still be a risk that it would pee in there," Gordon threw back. 

"How the hell should I know? It's not like I've got a secret stash of ex-boyfriend parts hanging by their balls from a palm tree outside!" 

"What? You take the balls too?" 

"You leave them with nothing!" 

"Evil witch!" 

Selene glared at them, which in turn meant that John did too.

"Are you glaring at us because you're worried about what she'll do to you and your private parts if you don't back her up?" 

"Yeah, what kind of wedding ring are you actually getting?" 

Selene dumped a couple of spoonfuls into the bowls and thumped two of them down on the table. 

"Shut the fuck up and eat if you actually want feeding, if not, get your own."

Scott waved his piece of toast. See? He was independent and capable of feeding himself, thank you very much. Self sufficient was his middle name, well, actually they were Malcolm and Shane but he wasn't above legally adding it to make a point. 

Gordon picked up a spoon and poked the slop. 

"What is it?" 

"Porridge."

"Porridge?" 

"Yes!" 

"Like…oatmeal. Oat…meal?"

"I'm out!" she threw a dish cloth at his head, wishing it was something harder and heavier, grabbed her own bowl and stomped out of the room. 

"Hey, unfair attack, you were the one that just tried to feed me penis oats!" Gordon called after her. 

"Did you have to?" John groaned, pushing his chair back from the table to follow her. 

"What did I do? I don't want her to steal my penis! Is that a crime now?" 

"No one wants to steal your teeny peeny, keep dreaming," Scott laughed, stealing John's half drunk coffee. 

"Will you all please stop shouting about penises!" Alan's voice floated down from the lounge. 

***

John caught up with her in their bedroom where she was lying flat out on the bed, the bowl of porridge abandoned on the floor. 

"Are you not eating that?" 

"No, would you?" 

John paused for a second, he hadn't been planning on it, no, but she needed to. She was always the first person to yell at everyone else for not eating, especially him, but recently he'd noticed that she'd been eating less, picking at her food and sneakily moving some to other people's plates. She was obviously cranky and he had a good idea why, now he just needed to know her reasons behind it. They had plenty of food, there was no reason for her to be going hungry. 

Taking one for the team he bent and picked up her abandoned bowl and sat beside her on the bed. 

"I'm sure it's delicious, I just didn't get time to try it myself."

Her eyes narrowed. "Well you can try it now if you'd like."

His eyes dropped to the bowl as he gingerly picked up the spoon and scooped up a small helping. 

Selene watched him intently as he closed his lips over the spoon. 

Should oatmeal be chewy? He rolled the gloop around his mouth, it had the consistency of glue and didn't taste much better although he could taste a hint of cinnamon, nutmeg and…was that chilli? How could she have thrown in so many spices and it still be like eating an over cooked snail? 

"It's shit, isn't it?" 

"I wouldn't say that," he mumbled, still trying to chew it down. In the end he gave up and grabbed her bottle of water from the bedside table to wash it down, swallowing it whole. "It's a bit…" he trailed off, unable to think of anything nice to say. 

"It's crap and I know it is, I tried it and I gave up, I'd rather go hungry."

"Don't be silly, I can make you some toast or something, I'll even donate a bagel." He'd meant to make her laugh but it didn't work. 

"Nope, I can't eat bread right now, too many carbs and the wheat will bloat me."

John frowned. Since when did she worry about things like that? "You're not allergic to wheat, you eat it all the time."

"Well not anymore, I don't have time to waste, I've got a dress to fit into and a wedding to look semi-decent for before you take one look at me and run away in terror."

It wasn't very often that he felt like he was completely lost in a conversation, but when he was it usually involved Selene. This time was no different. 

"Why would I run away? This whole thing has been about me getting you there, I'm not giving up now. Besides, you're always beautiful to me, so no matter what you wear or how you look I'll think I'm the luckiest man in the world."

"You have to say that, you're marrying me," she sighed. 

She rolled over onto her side, tugging her pillow into her arms, looking and sounding so utterly defeated that for a moment or two he was completely dumbstruck. This was so unlike her, he was used to her fighting everything and everyone. His girl was loud, opinionated and she didn't go down without taking a few people with her, she was never defeated and would kick any of their butts if they had acted that way. 

He recovered quickly and, putting down the bowl full of offending porridge that he still held, stretched out beside her. He tugged the pillow out of her arms and tossed it aside. 

"If you want to cuddle something that something should be me," he informed her, lifting an arm in invitation. It took her a few moments to make up her mind before she shuffled closer, tucking in against his side. "Do you want to tell me what all this is about?" 

She shook her head. "It's nothing important, don't worry."

“Stop that. If something is bothering you and making you feel bad then of course it’s important. I thought we agreed not to keep things a secret from each other?”

She nodded but still didn't say anything. 

"That is the point where you actually talk to me, so you have three choices, I can get stern with you, but we know where that usually leads, I can try the puppy eyes trick that Alan does but I don't think I'd be good at it, or you could save us both the trouble and just tell me."

She stayed quiet. 

"I'm waiting, I'm a very patient man, we can stay here all day."

Then he could continue waiting, she huffed to herself. He'd just think she was being stupid, but none of them saw the kind of negativity she did and it was all directed at her. 

"Sweetheart," his finger tucked under her chin to lift her head, "look at me."

As always she was powerless to resist, her eyes lifting to catch his own. 

"I know something is wrong, you've not been yourself for weeks. You snapped at Alan yesterday and you never do that, you haven't laughed or even smiled in days. We're all worried about you. Please, talk to me?" 

It was his last words that did it, the slightly hesitant way he pleaded with her to confide in him. His tone broke through her resolve to keep him ignorant to the shit she'd been dealing with. 

"It's stupid, I shouldn't let it get to me, I know I shouldn't…" she trailed off, not knowing how to continue. She knew she wasn't being fair or completely honest with him, and if it had been the other way around she'd have been feeling exactly the same, she'd want to know what was bothering him. She wasn't trying to exclude him, she was trying to shield him. 

"If it's bothering you it's not stupid," his hand went to her hair, wanting to comfort them both as he so often did at the end of a stressful day, but the soft strands were still bound by his badly executed braid and he had to content himself with playing with the ends that stuck out from the band. 

"I'm OK, I'm just tired and it's making me grumpy."

"Because you're not eating enough."

"This coming from the man who forgets to eat most days."

"We're not here to talk about me, we're here to talk about you."

"Classic deflection technique."

"You mean like you just did by picking on me?" 

"Damn it."

"Talk, now."

She sighed, sitting up to grab her phone, fiddling with the corner of the cover. "I just felt like I needed to lose a little weight before the wedding, I want to make sure I look my best."

"You already look perfect, you don't need to lose any weight."

"You have to say that, you're the one marrying me, but it's not how everyone sees it."

"Who is everyone?" he scowled. He knew that none of his family would ever think such a thing, let alone say anything to her. 

She debated for a second, she could brush it off and say it was nothing, but he was right, she shouldn't be hiding things from him. Silently she handed over her phone. 

Confused he took it, her phone registered his palm print as the secondary access and opened. "What am I looking for?" 

"Try the browser pages and my social media notifications, that's always a fun place to start. And there's one particular influencer that seems to have made me her personal project."

Since she no longer had her safety pillow she pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, needing the stability. She knew, logically, that anything he saw there he would disagree with, that he'd get angry at them, not her, but there was still that little part of her, tucked down deep inside, that worried they'd make him see her the way they did. 

John started with the browser, flicking quickly through pages and pages of articles that all featured her and none of them were positive. They ranged from fashion magazines to gossip columns, from fan pages to newspapers and each and every one of them were nasty. 

They had criticized her wardrobe, her new hair, her old hair, her job and her ability to plan a wedding but once they had exhausted that they had moved on to attacking her physical appearance. He personally loved her soft curves, she was beautiful to him and always had been. He liked the fact that she always felt so warm and inviting, she matched her personality and was sexy as hell along with it. His mind boggled at the many ways they had picked her apart and pointed out invisible flaws that only they could see. 

“This is just a few nasty opinions from people with nothing better to do, it's their job to be nasty, they don't represent real people...” he started, but stopped as he moved on to her social media accounts. Scrolling through he saw reblog after reblog of her posts that had had no end of nasty comments added as well as comments straight to her posts. He noticed that she had begun to post less and less over the past few months, to the point that she had stopped all together but even then they hadn't stopped looking for things to attack her over, they had trawled right back for years, to times before they had even been together, to find cannon fodder. 

“Yeah, now you see what I see.”

God, how had he not noticed any of this? Apart from the fact that he never checked his social media, nor did he post. He'd had EOS on the case for months, she was supposed to be monitoring posts made with Selene’s name in it and weeding out the negative ones so she could track down the perpetrators and issue cease and desist warnings, but it seemed like she had either missed some or there were simply too many to tackle. They seemed to be flooding in from all directions. 

He looked closer, taking the time to read some of them. There was certainly a wide range. Some were defensive and protective of him, although he had no idea what he was being protected from. Others were threatening that if the poster couldn't have him then no one could. He simply couldn’t understand it, he’d never met any of these people, never spoken to them to his knowledge and wasn’t anywhere near the public personality that his brothers were, yet he still seemed to have legions of fans that were intent on inventing some fantasy life where he was a part of it. Selene was a target simply for being his. 

Others were simply nasty for the sake of it, internet trolls that liked to bring misery and unhappiness wherever they went. They picked on people just to make them feel bad about themselves and it seemed that his girl was their new flavour of the month. He scrolled a little further and came across some very nasty picture edits that pushed his tolerance over the edge.

He closed her phone and picked up his own, logging in to the EOS drive he’d installed on their private cloud, not wanting to speak out loud. Quickly he issued his instructions to her then turned his focus back on his girl. 

“Come on, up you get, enough being silly.”

Frosty blue eyes leveled a glare at him that would have dropped a lesser man, but he was wise to her ways now and knew exactly how to handle this.

“Don’t glare at me, just do as you’re told.” He slid off the bed and held his hand out in invitation. She glared at his hand instead and he gathered his strength, preparing for battle when, to his intense relief, she placed her hand in his.

He tugged her to her feet and led the way back to the kitchen where only Scott still sat, Gordon having vanished to parts unknown.

“Everything OK?” Scott asked, not liking the look on either of their faces.

“Everything will be fine,” John assured him calmly, but he shot him a look that clearly said he’d explain everything to him later but for now he had to leave. Scott nodded briefly then gathered up his tablet along with his coffee cup, heading for the door.

“I’m gonna go do some work, I’ll leave you two in peace.”

“Sit,” John instructed, pointing to a chair as he turned to rummage in the fridge. Reluctantly she did as she was told, not bothering to argue.

Five minutes later John deposited an almost perfect recreation of an english bacon sandwich down in front of her. “Eat.”

She made a face, poking at the crust of the thick white bread. She really didn’t want to, it would undo so much work and weaken her resolve, she just knew it. She glanced up at him, seeing the firm set to his jaw but also the worried crease between his eyes. He’d made the effort to make it for her, so for him she’d eat it. She picked up one precisely cut triangle and took a tiny bite, almost moaning with pleasure. Gods, that was so good.

“Keep eating, EOS wants to show you something.”

“She does? What is it? If it’s another dodgy video I’ll have to explain can she at least wait until I’m not eating?”

“Just hush up and watch.”

He put his phone down on the table in front of them and let EOS take over.

“I had a theory and as usual it proved correct,” he touched his phone screen and brought up a link to hers, her screen now projecting from his. “I know you, and I know that once you see something negative you can become a little focused on that.”

“Unfair, I’m a very positive person.”

“Yes, you are, when it comes to other people and their problems, not so much with yourself though. You never cut yourself any slack, you're never kind to yourself.”

“Unfair.”

“Fair and truthful,” he countered. “I’m betting that if I check your search settings they will all be focussed on negative tags.”

“So what if they are? They are the ones attacking me and leaving you guys out of it.”

“Do you think we don’t get any negative press?”

“Not much that I’ve ever seen, everyone loves you.”

“And why do you think that is?”

“Why do you think? Because you’re awesome.”

“Stop being awkward, answer me properly.”

She sighed heavily, taking another bite, this one slightly bigger he was pleased to see.. She chewed thoughtfully, pondering his question.

“You guys are like a beacon in the dark, providing hope when the situation feels hopeless, you’re all so inspirational.”

“And that there is your problem, you’re still seeing this as a you and us thing, like you're a separate entity, rather than including yourself as part of International Rescue.”

She stayed silent, not wanting to admit to anything out loud, but he was right, she did still see herself as separate to them, on the outskirts. Not within the family, she was as much a part of the inner circle as any of them, but with the organisation she was well aware that she was very much the lame horse in the race. She had nothing to bring to the table, no special skills to offer, she was essentially dead weight.

“So, I asked EOS to do a little digging,” the hologram changed from her phone to his. "If you don’t think you’re inspirational, you need a reality check.” To prove his point he pulled up all the articles and posts that EOS had found in just a few minutes of searching, displaying them one after the other.

“Witches love that you are showing them in a positive light, letting the world know that there is nothing bad about them. They see your confidence and they are embracing it. You haven't checked your emails-”

“I’m avoiding them right now.”

“But,” he continued, undaunted by her interruption, “EOS found a number of invitations for you to be a keynote speaker at conventions and more client requests than ever.”

“She did? Hang on, why is she checking my emails for me?”

“We’re not here to talk about that,” he deflected smoothly. “Keep watching. You have only been following the negative tags, so we found the positive ones.” 

He flicked over to a number of news articles, all featuring International Rescue, but with mentions of her too. There were pictures of her at the Mall explosion, hugging people that needed it, working with the survivors and generally being herself. There was another from over a year ago but she instantly recognised Clare, the lady who’d given birth in the middle of an avalanche. She had her baby daughter cradled in her arms and her son sat beside her, his arm still in its cast and she was talking about how she had lost her husband in the avalanche but had been helped by International Rescue. There was more from an earthquake they had attended, a flood and a small fire, each she had helped out at, calming people, comforting children and always with a smile on her face. 

“You’re just as much a part of International Rescue as we are, an integral part, you step in when you need to and you help more than you know.”

Leaving EOS to continue flicking through all the positive posts she had found he moved to stand behind Selene, wrapping his arms around her. 

“Look at all those posts saying how beautiful you are, look at how much you are loved for being you, for not conforming to beauty standards and bowing to peer pressure. You have fan accounts, just like we do, you’re becoming the poster child for every girl that was ever teased for being different but wouldn't let that stop her. You’re giving hope too, just in a different way to us."

She stayed quiet, not knowing what to say, but for once he wasn't stuck for words. He hated seeing her so down about herself, so unconfident and he knew that it was partially their fault. She had joined up with them and been thrown in at the deep end and with everything that had been going on they had become too distracted to make sure their lawyers and PR department were doing their jobs properly. He'd be having words, as he was sure Scott would, EOS was at that moment correlating a list of every negative post she could find. It would be slow going, but he would make sure that every single person was identified and dealt with. No one could hide from him.

He hugged her tight, pleased to feel her relax back against his chest. Finding so many positive posts for her warmed his heart, they were seeing her as he did, seeing how amazing she was. Now he just had to continue making sure she saw it too. 

“They are seeing you just as I do, which is utterly gorgeous. You don’t need to change, I don’t want you to change, I want the beautiful, sexy as sin woman I fell in love with.” He dropped a kiss on her neck and snatched up his phone.

“Finish your sandwich, then go see Scott because he’s comm’d me three times since he left, asking if you’re OK, he’s been worried too. And then I want you to take the day to relax, have a bath and then pick out something stunning to wear because we’re having a date night. I’m taking you out to dinner, you will enjoy it, we'll do something ridiculously cheesy and romantic like share a dessert and I won’t hear any arguments.”

And with that parting shot he left her alone to think over all he had said.


	59. What Happens In London Stays In London

"This is torture, you're torturing me, you realise this, right?" 

Penelope lifted a slice of cucumber and cast a side eye in Kayo’s direction. "This isn't about you. You said you wanted nothing to do with organising this event so you must live with the consequences." She dropped the cucumber back into place and relaxed with a contented sigh as the pedicurist started massaging the arch of her right foot.

"Don't even think about touching my feet," Kayo snarled, causing the beautician to drop the bottle of pink nail polish she held and make a rapid retreat. 

"Selene, are you enjoying yourself?" Penelope asked, pushing home her point by focusing on the reason they were there. 

Selene paused, unsure how to really answer that. She'd loved the back massage, which had left her muscles feeling pleasantly rubbery, but Kayo was right, the rest of the treatments were bordering on sadistic. 

Oh, she understood Penny's point, they wouldn't have a lot of time over the next five days in the run up to the wedding, so cutting down on prep time by including manicures, pedicures and facials in the bachelorette party made sense, she just couldn't understand how Penny seemed to be enjoying it so much. 

Kayo had refused most treatments and was barely suffering through her facial without throwing hands, but Penelope had taken hers, and by default Selene's, to the extreme. They had been waxed, plucked, buffed and smoothed so much that Selene was surprised they hadn't whipped out an electric sander and been done with it. 

"Selene?" Penelope prompted, although her tone had changed a little, holding just the barest hint of worry. 

"Sure!" Selene rushed to reassure her. "I'm having a great time, never felt so smooth, it's like they've revealed three new layers of skin I never knew I had, my eyebrows have never been neater and I'm feeling slightly cold from lack of body hair."

"Did you wish for John to marry a yeti?" 

"A yeti? Excuse me? How dare! It's not like I was sporting a full winter coat!" 

Kayo sniggered, the smile lighting up her face and relaxing her slightly hostile aura enough that her beautician obviously felt it was safe enough to try again. She soon stopped when Kayo gently kicked her hand away, making her point very clear. 

"Ladies, we only have ten more minutes before they wash off these face masks and start on our make-up so let's enjoy them, shall we?" 

Selene glanced at Kayo, who shrugged in return. It was ten minutes, they could hang it out that long if they had to. They had no other choice.

Selene sat back and tried to relax but the mud on her face was itchy, it smelt vaguely of raw potatoes and she now wasn’t sure if she was hungry or worried as to what they had smeared on her skin. She'd be very glad when they washed it off, smoothed on some much nicer smelling moisturiser and handed them over to the makeup department.

Her nails were painted a nice deep purple that matched her hair, it felt like she wouldn't need to shave for at least a year and, much as she didn’t want to admit it, the potato mud had actually done something nice to her face, making it feel all tight and smooth. The makeup artist had gone a little light on the eyeliner and Selene had had to step in and insist on more, but all in all she was feeling quite relaxed and, yes, she’d admit it, pampered.

They enjoyed a leisurely stroll from the salon to their hotel. It was nice to be moving again, after more than three hours of sitting down and being judged on her cellulite, Selene was happy to be out of there. She often dressed in girly goth and loved her makeup but that was on her own terms and in general she was pretty low maintenance with her beauty regime, so spending that long surrounded by others that wanted their hands on her hadn’t been her idea of a good time.

The city was bustling as always, people rushing here and there, eyes focused either on their phones or staring straight ahead, not making eye contact, but there was a relaxed buzz in the air now that the working week was done. It was Saturday afternoon and those that weren’t shopping were heading for dinner and drinks with friends just as they were. 

They were stopped more than a dozen times on the short journey from the salon to the hotel and asked for autographs and selfies with people. Kayo hadn't been impressed, calling it a security risk but, remembering her promise to John, Selene had lifted her head high and plastered a bright smile on her face. Negative press could only affect you if you let it, she realised that now, and was determined to show them how little she cared about their nasty opinions. She'd smile, be nice and fight their negativity with positivity. 

Selene was used to being able to walk around her city and blend in with the crowds but obviously that ship had now sailed. It had been hard at first, having lost the anonymity that she had enjoyed for so many years as a nobody, but she knew she had but two choices, hide away, or continue to live her life. So she had started posting on social media again, just as she always had, and although it was hard to ignore all the negative comments she was determined not to let them get her down. If people recognised her she now did as the others did and talked to them, she smiled for their pictures, squished in close for selfies and then went on with her day. 

After what the family were referring to as 'her wobble' Scott and John had tasked their lawyers with making it known within the press that they wouldn't hesitate to use every legal avenue at their disposal to take them down should they continue with their unwarranted attacks and so far things had been quiet. Now, all they could hope was that it stayed that way. 

The trio stopped at the entrance of the hotel to pose for a group photo and to answer a few questions for a couple of Penelope's fans, before they finally entered the blissful peace and privacy of the lobby where they were met by the concierge who showed them to their private parlour. 

The sun room at the hotel was beautiful, the tables laid out as elegantly as could be and each table had its own ornate cake stand which held the most delicate looking little french fancies and miniature versions of English classics Selene had ever seen. A pretty teapot, bone china cup and saucer sets and a platter of crustless sandwiches completed the layout. It was classy, it was relaxed and it was so perfectly Penelope, but it really wasn’t very Selene. She was more a coffee drinking, burger eating, cafe haunting kind of girl but she appreciated the effort nonetheless.

Selene had given Penelope and Kayo strict instructions to not go overboard, to not invite tons of people she didn’t know, preferring to stick to close friends and family. Grandma and her mother had politely declined their invitations, declaring it something for the youngsters to enjoy, just as Jeff had bowed out of whatever it was the boys had planned for John. She had no clue what they were doing as their little gang had left the hotel around the same time as they had headed to the salon. They had decided to travel together and secured a number of rooms in the same hotel for the family and their guests, it had just made the entire thing so much easier to organise when it came to cover from the GDF and local authorities and travel arrangements. 

Selene made the obligatory round of the tables, greeting people and thanking them for coming, having a brief catch up before moving on after promising they would hang out more later. She had provided a list of people that she wouldn’t mind being included in Penelope and Kayo’s plans for the night but it seemed that some had slipped in that she hadn't been aware of. In between the few witchy friends that were there, including Tanzi, their officiant for the handfasting portion of the wedding, some of her more bearable cousins and two old school friends whose bachelorette parties she had gone to so felt she had to return the favour, there were a few vaguely familiar faces that turned out to be friends of friends and one that appeared to be friend of the groom.

“Did you invite her?” Kayo side whispered to Penelope and Selene. Both ladies shook their heads.

“Must have been John,” Selene whispered back. Her friends made sympathetic faces although if they were for herself or John she wasn’t sure. “Welp, guess I had better go and say hello.”

“Need backup?” Kayo offered.

“Nope, I’m good, I’ll behave, I can be nice, she’s coming to the wedding so her being here isn’t an issue. Just give it five minutes and then create a distraction.”

“Not a problem,” Penelope agreed. “Godspeed.” 

“Thanks,” Selene muttered as she made her way over to where Ridley sat at a table with a couple of Selene’s friends.

“Ridley! Nice to finally meet you in the flesh,” Selene bent down to give her a hug that seemed to startle the other woman, who didn’t so much hug back as sit there stiffly and pray for it to be over. Well, Selene thought, as they say, that's a you problem. If she was going to hang out with Selene and her friends she’d have to get used to spontaneous displays of affection, witches were a touchy feely lot in general and often grabbed without thinking, although she’d warned them all to leave John alone when they met him.

“Nice to meet you too, thanks for including me. It’s a long time since I’ve been to London so it’s great to be back.”

“That’s awesome, we should hang out some time and take in the sights. It'll make a change for me to play tourist, it's always fun to visit places that I never normally have time for."

"Really? Well, yeah, I guess that sounds good."

"Well, I just wanted to come over and say hello and thank you for coming, I hope you enjoy yourself but you’ll have to excuse me for now. Penny has just ordered the first round of champagne and I’m needed at our table but I’ll catch up with you later and we’ll have a nice chat, OK?”

“Oh, OK, sure, I guess I’ll see you later then,” Ridley reached for her tea cup again and took a sip, watching as the other woman left as quickly as she had appeared. 

Selene felt a little bad to have dipped out of the conversation so quickly, but honestly she was still quite pissed off after hearing the details of Ridley's rescues and had been as polite as she could be. She'd be having words with her darling Spaceman when all this was over, she didn't appreciate the lack of warning that she'd be having an extra guest.

She slid into the chair that had been left for her and gingerly picked up the cup Penelope indicated. She took a tiny, experimental sip, just managing to hold in the face she badly wanted to make. It was one of those fragrant teas that tasted like you’d just drunk perfume. She didn't like tea at the best of times and this certainly wasn't one of them. In short, it was disgusting.

“Isn’t it delicious?” Penny enthused, sipping delicately, her raised pinky perfectly straight. “It’s one of my favourites, Lady Lavender, it’s a classic Earl Grey blended with parma violet lavender. It’s perfect for such an event, don't you think?”

“Mmm,” Selene nodded, smiling as best she could while forcing herself to swallow the mouthful. She politely set the cup aside and reached for a tiny triangular cream cheese and cucumber sandwich to take the taste away.

“Oh, wonderful, the champagne is here,” Penelope sighed happily as three suited waiters proceeded to pop the corks of numerous bottles in quick succession. They poured the sparkling liquid into golden fluted glasses and placed them carefully in front of each lady. 

“Let us toast,” Penelope instructed once everyone had a glass, raising effortlessly from her seat, a graceful unfolding of her legs, timed perfectly with a waiter pulling her chair back for her that told of how often she frequented the venue. “To a beautiful bachelorette, what promises to be a glorious wedding and most undoubtedly a lifetime of love.”

Glasses were raised and champagne was downed. Selene lifted her glass, it wouldn't do to not toast her own health and took a large mouthful...and choked. A quickly grabbed napkin prevented her from spraying her maid of honour and chief bridesmaid but couldn’t hide the disgust on her face.

“Gods, that's foul!”

“Oh dear, how distressing,” Penelope sighed. “And 1998 was such a good year for champagne, too. Still, sometimes one must accept that not everything is to everyone's tastes.”

***

“Come on, lighten up, it’s not that bad here,” Virgil grinned, sipping on his pint and sighing contentedly, totally at ease in his surroundings. He had simple needs and was set for the night with a cold beer, something called pork scratchings and a comfortable seat to sink into.

John respectfully disagreed as he looked around the stuffy gentlemen’s club that he’d been dragged to. Their father had been a member of the exclusive International Associates since his time in the Airforce and had made a point of signing his sons up for inclusion on his membership when they each turned twenty-one and while Alan wasn’t there yet he’d been allowed in with them and the rest of their guests on the proviso that they stayed in the private function room they had been escorted to.

He was already feeling uncomfortable and they had only been there an hour. He felt restricted in the shirt and tie they had insisted was mandatory and tugged at the knot at his throat in order to get a little air. He glanced back at his brother, wondering just where he had managed to dredge up a plaid tie, but he’d learnt that sometimes he didn’t actually want to know the answer to the many mysteries of his brothers.

“I can’t lighten up, this place is horrible, it smells like old cigars and feet and don’t get me started on those animal heads on the walls, I don’t care if they are antiques and therefore allowed, their eyes keep following me and I don’t like it.”

“We thought you’d appreciate something quieter and less crowded,” Virgil explained patiently for the fourth time. “It’ll give you a chance to catch up with some of your friends and relax a bit.”

“Yes, because this is so relaxing for me.”

“Just give it a bit longer.”

“Do I really have to?”

“Yeah, you do, it won’t be th-”

“Hey, Space Cadet!” 

Virgil looked up at the large, booming voiced man that had appeared behind his brother, pint in his hand and who was looking pointedly at Virgil’s chair. He took the hint.

“Here, take my seat for a bit, I’m gonna go talk with Scott.”

“Thanks, man,” the large man dropped down into Virgil’s vacated seat.

“Hi, Gary, how are you doing?” And why are you here, he asked silently, because I know I didn’t invite you. John risked a glance over to the bar where, just as he had suspected, James stood with Carl, the only one John had actually invited. He should have known better, those three had been inseparable at university and it appeared that nothing had changed since then.

“I’m doing good, real good. I've been doing all sorts, travelling the world, seeing people and places, one job after another.”

John listened as Gary continued for some time, bragging about the wild things he'd done while inebriated, the laws he'd broken and the people he'd met, slept with and dumped the next day when he moved on, seeming to be living the party lifestyle to the extreme. He talked about the exaggerations he'd told in order to find work, impress new friends and potential bed partners and with each word he said John was reminded of just why they had never gotten along in college. Gary had been a nasty, unpleasant man who cared more about his own welfare and happiness than anyone else's and it looked like nothing had changed. 

“I’m glad to hear it,” John responded when Gary finally wound down, having exhausted his tales of hedonism and allowed him a word in edgeways. 

“Seems you are too.”

“I am,” John replied carefully, not liking the tone Gary had used. 

“That’s why I had to come. Man, when Carl got that invitation you could have shit on my nipples and called me Margaret.”

John blinked. That was descriptive. What was he supposed to even say to that? Was it really so shocking that he had found someone he wanted to spend the rest of his life with?

"Gotta say, I never thought I'd see the day that John Tracy found someone stupid enough to take him on," he continued with a laugh, gulping back half his beer. "She's not bad looking either, you must have had to put in some serious work to bag her, that or you lied." 

Apparently it was that shocking and unbelievable to Gary and it made John wonder how many other people had thought the same. He shifted uncomfortably not knowing what to say or how to answer. Obviously he'd thought it himself, he’d been plagued with thoughts of not being good enough, having come with too much baggage and family commitments. But, to have someone who had once been a friend saying it, well, that was just a kick in the teeth. He glanced down at the drink in his hand, one finger running lightly around the rim, distracting himself as he tried to gather his thoughts. 

"Actually, she made the first move," he finally answered, needing to defend himself. Where did this judging asshole get off, acting like he'd been some kind of woman repelling leper who no one would be seen dead with? 

"Woah, really? I guess your money helped, I mean, you aren't the easiest person to deal with, are you? So there had to be something in it for her," Gary plowed on, regardless of John’s feelings. 

"She seems to like me just fine," John ground out through gritted teeth. 

"Nah, I remember in college, we'd have to drag you out of the dorm just to get you to interact with the outside world, let alone talk to anyone. How'd she fix you?" 

It was that last line that did it, that gave him the kick he needed, as well as the confidence, to lift his head, look his 'friend' dead in the eyes and let the truth fly. He was done listening to his crap, he'd done it for two years in college and he'd be damned if he'd sit here, at his bachelor party that he didn't even want, and continue to be insulted. 

"She didn't do anything but love me for who I am. I didn't need fixing, I wasn't broken, I was just different to you, I just didn't fit in with your version of what was normal or expected. A relationship isn't a band aid for your mental issues, it shouldn't be down to your partner to be responsible for your wellbeing."

"Yeah, but you had to have changed for her, I mean, look at you, standing here in a bar, having a bachelor party like a normal person."

Beyond pissed off now, John slammed his drink down on the table that separated them, practically snarling at his old friend. 

"She didn't do anything but accept me for who I was. If I've changed at all it's because I felt comfortable enough to do so, to relax and be myself. It was something I could never do with people like you in my life judging me, pushing me to be someone I wasn't and act in ways I didn't like just because I made you feel uncomfortable. That wasn't my fault, that was on you. I didn't act how you did and therefore you deemed me wrong or broken when really and truly, the only broken one here is you."

"Hey! Now wait just a sec-" Gary started but John cut him off, not wanting to listen to another second of his nasty, toxic opinion. If he could be rude, so could John. If Gary could continue to spout his crap under the guise of honesty among friends, twisting the truth to make himself out to be better than he was, then John could do the same. 

"No, you wait. You have the audacity to invite yourself along to my bachelor party and then feel you have the right to judge my relationship when you have never kept a partner for longer than three months without chasing them off. The number of places you have docked your rocket does not equal successful relationship experience. And I thank you not to bring your negative views into my life again if you know what's good for you."

"Did you just threaten me?" Gary's eyes narrowed dangerously, his hand flexing around the pint glass he held, daring him to continue and ordinarily that would have been enough to make John back down, not wanting to deal with a confrontation. But John had changed in more ways than one since college and he wouldn't allow anyone to intimidate him any more, especially not a neanderthal like the one in front of him, all brawn and no brains. 

"Yeah, I think I did, and do you know what? It felt good to do so. You don't get to judge me anymore, you don't get to make me feel bad about myself. She didn't need to fix me, I changed for myself because I was wanted by someone who actually took the time to get to know me and understand me more than you, as my friend, ever did. I think it's time you left now."

Gary's nostrils flared and he let out a snort of disgust not unlike that of a bull, but a quick glance around the room had him reassessing. In college John had been alone, younger than him and lacking in any kind of confidence that wasn't showing off his book smarts, he'd been an easy target to pick on and belittle to make others laugh. Now John was different, he wasn't alone and he wasn't the unsure little freshman. Anyone would be crazy to pick a fight with one member of International Rescue, let alone the entire family, all of whom were now staring daggers at Gary, having heard John's raised voice. 

Defiantly Gary knocked back the rest of his drink, and placed the glass on the table top, preparing to leave, though not without tossing out his parting shot. "Good luck, Tracy. You're going to need it, because someone like you won't keep someone like that for long, just make sure you don't give her a credit card, yeah?" he laughed nastily before turning and presenting John with his broad back to watch him walk away. 

John huffed out a relieved breath, wondering where that sudden spark of bravery in the face of a friend had come from. It was the first time he'd spoken up like that or stood up for himself to anyone who knew him before International Rescue, but he was glad he had. He'd only spoken the truth as he saw it. 

With every other relationship or friendship he'd had they had tried to change him, tried to push him into their way of thinking or acting, all for 'his own good' not accepting that he was already good as he was. They had used him for their own ends, either hanging around in the hopes that he’d pick up the tab, help them with their coursework or just be there to make them look good in comparison. Everyone had always seemed to want something from him, everyone but her.

He and Selene worked because neither saw the other's personality, likes, dislikes or experiences as issues that needed to be fixed, they saw everything as something that they accepted and loved regardless. He'd found that it was only when he had felt truly comfortable and loved for who he was that he'd been able to make positive changes for himself. That was the key really, he had changed for him, not for her, changed to make himself feel better and more comfortable in his own skin and that was all that had mattered. 

She hadn't seen him as a pet project, or something to mold and forcefully squash into her own version of perfection, she'd thought he was perfect as he was. She hadn't liked the idea of having a Tracy, of bagging the one they never saw, she had never seen him as something to conquer and own. She had just wanted him, not the concept of him. It had taken him a long time to truly believe her, to accept her unconditional, non judgemental love and to trust in her but now he wouldn't trade what they had for anything. 

Gary would never know that joy, that comfort you could have from feeling truly wanted just as you were, because he couldn't give that himself, he couldn't see that a partner wasn't there to do your bidding. 

"Hey, John, are you okay?" Gordon asked, appearing as if by magic at his side. "I saw that big douche storm out of here, he didn't say anything to you, did he?" the look on Gordon's face said he knew exactly what had gone down and that he'd be down to pound ten tons of shit out of Gary if John would just say the word. 

"Nope," John answered, a small smile catching the corners of his mouth. "He just had to go."

No one needed to know all of what had been said, it didn't matter, John knew the truth and those who knew him and Selene knew it too, it was clear for anyone to see. And that was all that mattered to him. 

“He had some bad vibes, man,” Adam commented, wandering over. “Kinda like those heads on the wall, they’ve seen some things, things I don’t want to contemplate.”

“You are so Selene’s brother,” Gordon laughed.

“Well, yeah, same womb evacuees, dude.”

“I don’t even know what to say to that.”

***

“Thank you,” Selene side whispered to Kayo as they entered the packed out bar. “It wasn’t that I didn’t like or appreciate that delicious tea but…”

“But it wasn’t really your thing,” Kayo finished for her. “I get it, that’s why I suggested moving on to cocktails once the evening crowd came in. We only had the dining room hired for three hours and those guys, well, they were a little stiff looking.”

“They all looked like they had sticks up their arses, there was so much bling I was almost blinded every time they caught the light and the sound of their nasally voices were hurting my ears.”

“That too.”

“I don’t know how Penelope can stand to spend so much time with them, it’s a mystery how she’s managed to come out of it as sane as she has. She’s like a special kind of tough that neither of us will ever manage to achieve,” Selene sighed.

"Agreed." 

“Girls,” Penelope called, breaking into their talk. “Look who’s here,” Penelope stepped aside to reveal the graceful, auburn haired beauty that stood behind her.

As always, Selene had to pause for just a second to take in the woman's aura, which she found slightly intimidating. There was something ethereal about her, from the way she seemed to glide rather than walk, the perfectly straight way she carried herself, her bright blue eyes that seemed a little too big for her face and the air of complete confidence she wore like a cloak of protection around her shoulders. The first time Selene had met her she had seemed so delicate, with her slender form and seemingly quiet nature, her head tipped to the side like a bird as she assessed the occupants of the room with a quick glance, but then she had opened her mouth and Selene had known they would be great friends.

“Tippy Toes! You made it! I thought you had a performance tonight?” Selene accepted the hug the smaller woman offered along with the kiss on the cheek.

“I did, I came straight here, hence the hair,” she pointed to her high bun that seemed to defy gravity. “There was no way I’d miss this.” 

“Then I guess the gang’s all here and we should get started on those drinks. Bring on the cocktails!” Selene cheered. “Lead the way!”

Their personal mixologist was already waiting for them, a large array of colourful bottles spread out on the bar in front of him. Tanzi greeted him with a hug, as did Selene.

“Ladies,” he clapped, commanding their attention while grinning one of his knicker melting smiles. “Let me welcome you all to tastebud heaven, where I shall be mixing up a personal drink for each and every one of you. First on the agenda, our girl that is breaking hearts all across London with the news that she is soon to be off the market.”

Selene pretended to preen, fluffing her hair.

“I have just the thing for you,” he promised. 

Selene was down to try the drink that Avery mixed up in front of her as he added vodka, cherry liquor and a lime juice but it was when he cracked open an egg, separated the yolk from the white and dumped the clear, slimy substance into the shaker that she began to doubt the man. He finished off with a dash or two of something orangey and began to shake the thing like it was an olympic sport. He held a glass in one hand that he poured a steady stream of liquid into and passed it over with much ceremony.

“I present to you, the Blushing Bride.”

Selene took a dubious sip of the drink, trying to forget the fact that egg, which in her opinion should never be involved in the making of drinks in any way, shape or form, was swirling around in her glass. It was a valiant effort on her part, but it was still disgusting. 

“Eww, nope! Sorry, Ave, I love you, but no.” She put the drink down on the counter top. “I thought you knew me better than that.”

Avery tossed his hair over his shoulder with a flamboyant huff but the effect was ruined by his grin. “Don’t worry, I’ve got ya covered.”

Grabbing a new shaker he tossed in a few ice cubes, added a very healthy dribble of apple brandy, a glug of apple juice and a splash of grenadine before giving it a vigorous shaking. He drizzled some blackberry shimmer around the inside of a glass and poured out the mixture, which swirled like a mystical galaxy as soon as it mixed with the shimmer.

“Here, try this.”

This one Selene was more enthusiastic to try, it looked delicious and didn’t contain anything that her Grandmother would have called salmonella lying in wait. 

“Oh, now that is amazing. What is it?”

“A Witches Heart.”

“Perfect,” she grinned, taking a bigger sip, this drink went down dangerously easy.

Soon everyone had a drink in front of them. Some met with mixed reviews, Penelope had loved her Pink Lady and was happily drinking it, as had Kayo with her Black Shadow but Cat hadn’t been a fan of her Ballet Dancer and was now trying a Lucid Lift which contained absinthe, syrup, club soda, kiwi and cucumber.

Tanzi had her usual Black Cat and three other girls were sharing a cauldron cocktail between them, supping on straws. The others were either waiting impatiently for Avery to work his magic or already drinking.

Selene’s went down far too quickly, there appeared to be a hole in her glass because she didn't remember drinking it but as soon as she put the empty down another took its place, her cocktail shaker beside it. 

“OK , number two, let's do this.”

“Is everyone happy with their drinks?” Avery asked as he delivered the last to one of Selene’s cousins.

“Mines perfect,” Penelope smiled. “I’ve always had a taste for gin.”

“Bourbon is my drink of choice anyway, and while this is a little sweet, it’s an interesting change,” Kayo sipped again. “I like the blackberry, it gives it a little tart kick.”

“Actually, mine's a little bitter for my tastes.” 

Avery blinked, he wasn't used to hearing that and reached for another bottle, pulling her glass closer.

“Oh, sorry, love, I try to match the drinks with the person but it’s not an exact science.” Avery tipped a little syrup and grenadine into Ridley’s drink. “See if this will sweeten it up for ya.” 

“Hey, Ave?” Tanzi called over. “Is Cass allowing karaoke tonight?”

“For you guys, anything.”

“Sweet. Then let’s get this party started.”

***

“So, have you decided who gets the dubious honour of being your best man?” Virgil asked, reaching for another handful of peanuts.

“Sorry, I’m taken, you should have gotten in quicker,” Scott grinned, swirling the whiskey so the ice clinked against the glass.

“I’m available since my darling sister neglected to choose me,” Adam commented, not seeming bothered in the slightest by the apparent rejection. “Not that I believe in such roles or even the outdated concept of marriage itself.”

“You are so like Selene it’s scary,” Alan laughed.

Adam shrugged, puffing medatievely on his vape pen, letting out a plume of fruity fragranced smoke that was a stark contrast to the old cigar and leather smell that seemed to have become ingrained in the walls of the room. 

"Come on, John, you have to have picked someone by now," Gordon prodded. "The wedding is less than a week away."

"Who's it gonna be? It's not Dad because he's doing all the legal side," Virgil mused. "And it's not Scott because Selene got him first."

"Fighting over me is tolerated and encouraged," Scott preened. 

John fiddle with the label of his beer bottle. "Actually, I gave it a lot of thought and I have picked someone."

"Really? Who?" Gordon asked, drawing the attention of the other men in the room, consisting of Brains, Conrad, Brandon, a smattering of university friends, a few fellow astronauts, two astronomy professors he frequently conversed with, a couple of their cousins and an old neighbour. John wasn't much for collecting people, finding it hard to keep up with their lives, so he'd been more than happy with such a small gathering, especially now that Carl, James and Gary had been evicted. 

"Alan," he answered with complete surety. 

"Me?" the youngest Tracy spluttered, his face lighting up. "Seriously? You picked me?" 

"Sure, why wouldn't I pick you?" 

Virgil, Gordon and Scott shared a small smile over the top of their baby brother’s head. They hadn't known that was who John was going to say but they were more than happy with it. There hadn't been any real issues on any of their parts, they had known that he couldn't pick all of them and honestly they had been as much a part of proceedings as each other so they had nothing more to add to the situation. 

"Seriously?" 

"Yes, I picked you, don't make me regret it because you've forgotten how to form a coherent thought."

"I won't! You won't regret this, I swear! I'll be the best best man there ever was," he paused, gulping down a little of his beer, quelling his excitement as a thought occurred to him. "Erm…what will my job be exactly?" 

"Not much, truth be told," Virgil laughed. "Not now that everything has been organised, anyway. The job of the best man is like the bridesmaid for the bride, you make sure the groom is doing OK and help him with anything he might need, do everything you can to make the run up to the day and the day itself, go smoothly. Oh, and you keep hold of the rings. Usually you'd organise this party but we got you covered."

"Wasn't that much to do, really," Gordon mused. "This place said they were used to catering for bachelor parties, or stag do's as they called them here."

"I guess that might explain all the heads on the walls," Scott shuddered, risking a glance into the glassy eyes of one particularly moth-eaten specimen. 

"Other than booking the hotel with Penny and organising flights for guests we didn't have to plan anything, the club organised the entire thing, all we had to do was pay them."

"Wait, hang on a second," John cut in as he was hit by a very scary thought. "You did check everything first, didn't you? You knew exactly what they were planning, you didn't just leave them to it?" 

"Why would we need to do that? They said they had a groom-to-be package and we asked them to give you the best of everything and they said all we needed to do was get you here, they would take care of the rest."

"That really doesn't instil me with confidence."

"Just drink your drink, order another, top it up with a scotch and relax, it's your night, enjoy it," Scott soothed, lifting his hand to the waitress for another drink. The young woman practically ran over to their little huddle of chairs, eager to provide for their every need. Scott smiled, more than used to that kind of attention and took the small tablet from her apron pocket to leave her a nice tip, handing it back as she headed to the bar. 

John rolled his eyes at his brother's flirtatious behaviour, although none of them were surprised, they all dealt with the public in different ways. John avoided them like the plague, Virgil was the all round nice guy, Gordon the joker of the pack who would make them laugh, Alan was too adorable to hound and Scott flirted with everyone, which he'd found often distracted them enough to let him slip away. It was unconventional but it worked for them, although at this moment in time John wished he was anywhere but there. 

He hadn't wanted a bachelor night, honestly he found the whole concept quite alien, it made little sense to him to be celebrating a last night of freedom as a single man when in his mind he hadn't been single since he'd met Selene. She'd wormed her way into his heart almost instantly and he'd known that no one else would ever compare. He'd asked her to marry him, he wanted that commitment, so why should he be acting like it was a bad thing? He understood the history of the event, dating back from times when arranged marriages on political grounds were common but these were modern times and he felt it was an outdated tradition, yet he'd had no way of avoiding it. 

"Woooo!" 

"Yeah, boy!" 

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" 

John's head snapped up as a round of excited cheering broke out, only just heard over the pounding music that now flooded from the speaker system hidden discreetly in the wood paneled walls, making them all jump. 

"Oh, oh God, no. Tell me she's not real."

All four of his brothers glanced over, their eyes growing wide as they realised what they were seeing. 

"This isn't happening," John groaned, as the female strutted towards their group, her heels keeping perfect time with the music and the panicked beating of his heart. He squeezed his eyes shut, praying for death, wishing with all his might that the chair he was sitting in would suddenly develop a black hole or a portal to another dimension. 

"John?" Virgil's concerned voice forced him to open his eyes. 

"Who did this?" John snarled, unable to look away from the woman that was stalking them like a being from a horror movie, her features obscured by the overly large helmet on her head. 

Four sets of hands lifted in identical gestures of innocence. 

"It must have been part of their bachelor package," Scott groaned. "I'm so sorry, we didn't know. They asked what you did for a living but we thought it was something to do with club policy."

The woman began what he was sure she thought of as a sensual dance but it reminded him more of a dog with fleas trying to scratch an unreachable itchy spot, the helmet slopping around on her head like a child playing dress up. 

Her fingers worked the buttons of her knock off NASA jumpsuit that would never have passed safety regulations, the gap at her chest widening to reveal black lacy undergarments that looked quite uncomfortable, especially the way it seemed to be squeezing her oversized breasts. 

"Woooo, get it off! Get it off!" one of the astronauts chanted encouragingly. Honestly, this was the reason that astronauts had such a reputation for being sex starved horn dogs worse than a sailor on shore leave. 

She launched into what looked like a full body shudder, her limbs seeming to vibrate as the material slid down her body, allowing her to shimmy out of it and kick it aside, all while staying upright on her impossibly high heels. She had a good sense of balance, he'd give her that. 

John glanced to the side, noticing that Alan looked just as disturbed as he was, his eyes were as wide as a deer in headlights and he was staring at the stripper like she was the scariest thing he'd ever encountered. Really, John couldn't blame him, if they thought Selene at that time of the month was scary, his girl had nothing on this beast. 

The woman yanked off her helmet, dropped it to the floor with a clunk that made all of them wince, and tossed back her hair, a fuzzy mass of loose curls that looked like dyed blonde candy floss and it floated around her face like a cloud. She had that overly tanned skin that had developed a leathery look and was pulled tight across her skull, giving her a slightly surprised expression and her lips resembled that of a trout. 

The music lowered from deafening but was still an uncomfortable level of sound and that was when she opened her mouth. 

"So," she drawled in a broad northern English accent, "I've come from a far off planet where there are no men to sate my needs. I heard there were a man about to tie ‘imself down what needs a little attention." Her eyes scanned the assembled crowd, hunting for her victim. 

Virgil and Scott seemed unable to look at her directly but Gordon was openly staring in the same way one would be unable to look away from a horrific accident, you didn't want to look, you just couldn't help yourself. 

Conrad had flattened himself against the bar, perched on his stool, sheltering behind Brandon as best he could, trying to avoid drawing her attention in any way, shape or form. Brandon for his part seemed unconcerned, watching with disinterest verging on boredom. Brains was with them and seemed to be treating the entire bizarre performance as an educational experience, peering over his glasses at her as if he was watching a nature documentary. The courtship rituals of the great North stripper.

"Where's the lucky fella then, lads?" she demanded to know. 

John's soon to be ex friends pointed in his direction, ratting him out and she honed in like a heat seeking missile. 

"Hands to yerself unless there's money in ‘em," she warned as she pranced her way closer, her hands latching on to his shoulders, talon like nails digging into the material of his shirt and bruising flesh. 

He stiffened, caught once again in that moment where his brain short circuited through sheer, unadulterated discomfort and fear. He wanted to push her away, wanted to stop her as she swung one skinny leg over both of his and deposited herself in his lap, but his limbs refused to cooperate. 

"Miss, I think that’s enough,” Virgil started, automatically reaching out to her but stopping himself just in time, not knowing where it was actually safe to touch her.

The music shifted from a banging beat to a slightly more sedate number as she launched into weird, writhing, shaking, grinding body spasms that were centered on his groin. Her red painted claws scratched their way from his shoulders down his chest and he just about held in his knee jerk reaction to scream.

Her hands left his chest to cup her own, smushing together the large grapefruits that were her breasts, lifting them up for his inspection. He kept his eyes fixed on the ceiling and refused to look down ever again. 

She let out an impatient snort, obviously not getting the reaction she wanted.

“Tough customer, eh?” One hand slid behind her back, reaching for the clasp on her bra.

“No!” Gordon yelled.

“Don’t even think about it!” Scott ordered.

The astronauts and college friends groaned in disappointment as John’s fight or flight mode finally kicked in and, unable to stand it for even a second longer he stood up, dumping her off his lap onto the floor, accompanied by her squawk of shock. 

“Wot the fuck do yer think yer playin’ at?” she yelled, scrambling to her feet, glaring at them all.

“Miss, we’re very sorry but you need to leave,” Scott insisted to a chorus of protesting boos.

Hands went to her hips, her chin lifting stubbornly. “I ain’t done yet.” Cheers accompanied her announcement.

“Yes, you are,” Virgil joined in, stepping forward to block John from her line of sight, as if worried she might suddenly launch herself at him like a spider monkey just to finish her dance.

“I ain’t, I don’t get paid until me tits come out an’ I finish me dance.”

“Finish it! Finish it!”

“Shut up!” Gordon yelled at the obviously drunk astronauts.

“You will get paid, I promise, we’ll double whatever you’re getting, just please, go,” Scott begged.

Her eyes narrowed in the most calculating way they had ever seen. “Triple it.”

“Sure, fine, whatever it takes,” Virgil agreed as Alan gathered up her clothes and, trying to be helpful, attempted to stuff them into her arms.

“Alright,” the stripper scrabbled in the pocket of the jumpsuit Alan had thrust upon her and pulled out her phone. She tapped in an amount that made Scott’s eyes water and held it out to him. He dutifully placed his thumb on the screen, completing the transaction. She checked the screen then grinned. “Nice doin’ business with yer, mate.” She wiggled into her jumpsuit, holding on to Alan’s shoulder for balance, much to his horror, picked up her helmet and finally, blessedly, she left.

“You’re safe now, John,” Virgil called, sighing in relief as the door swung shut behind her. 

“John!” Scott tried too. 

A quick glance around the small lounge bar showed there was no ginger spaceman hiding in a corner. 

"Maybe he needed to piss," one of the astronauts suggested. 

“John?” Gordon called, sticking his head into the bathroom to check. No answer. 

“Where is he?” a thoroughly confused and slightly drunk Scott asked. 

***

“Has anyone seen Selene?” Kayo asked, releasing that she hadn’t seen the bride-to-be in quite some time.

“Her drink is gone,” Cat pointed out.

“She excused herself to go to the bathroom,” Penelope informed them, carefully selecting a peanut from the dish on the bar that had been provided for them.

“Oh dear, that’s where she’ll be then,” Alegra, one of her witch friends, laughed. 

“Why ‘oh dear’?” Kayo demanded to know. Even a few drinks down she was ever on alert, taking her role of security seriously.

“She’s had what, three drinks, maybe four?” Alegra asked.

“Four,” Penelope answered.

“Yep, she’ll be there then,” Alegra confirmed. “She’ll be doing her drunk oracle thing again.”

“Her what now?” 

“Drunk oracle,” Alegra repeated, although she could tell by their blank faces that they didn't have a clue what she was talking about. “You’ve known her a while now, yeah?”

The girls nodded.

“So you’ll know what I mean when I say that people are just drawn to her. It’s not something you can explain, she just makes you want to talk to her, to listen to what she has to say and when she speaks you know she’s telling you the complete truth. You trust her, you can’t help it. And when she’s drunk she’s even nicer, even more approachable.”

Again with the nods, they had all been on the receiving end of one of Selene's assessing looks and probing questions.

“I can guarantee you’ll find her in the bathroom, surrounded by people all wanting advice and their fortunes told. And she’ll do it, because that’s who she is, she just wants to help people, to make them feel better.”

“Are you being serious right now?” Kayo asked. 

Alegra nodded. “Go and look if you don’t believe me.”

Kayo exchanged a look with Penelope, who shrugged and headed towards the bathroom with a determined step, Kayo following along behind.

They pushed open the door to find the room crowded with women and yep, there was Selene, sitting on one of the sinks, drink in hand, chatting enthusiastically.

“No, no listen, I’m telling you that you are beautiful. Don’t you dare let anyone tell you otherwise, look at your curves, no one likes a boring straight road to drive down, they want bumps and bends. Work it girl, let me see you twirl.” 

Selene clapped out a beat as the short woman in front of her turned slowly on the spot. “Now do it with a little more confidence, show me that fire, show me the foxy lady inside.” 

The woman did as she was told, but a little faster this time and on the second spin, to much cheering from Selene and the other women surrounding them, she lifted her arms and gave an enthusiastic little shimmy.

“Perfect, Cheryl, absolutely stunning. Amazing, now get back out there, get yourself another drink, take those selfies and show that bitch what you’re made of. Remember that no one can make you feel bad unless you give them permission to. Don’t let them.”

“Thanks, I think I will.”

“Tag me so I can see them,” Selene called after her as she left the huddle and another woman stepped up to receive her blessing. Selene sipped her drink and focussed on the new woman. “Oh, oh hunny, who hurt you?”

Instantly there were tears. 

“No, no no, no tears, that's not allowed. I know he cheated on you, but that’s because he’s a dickhead. Dump his arse, girl, dump him quick.”

“Should we intervene?” Penelope whispered to Kayo.

“Only if someone swings at her.”

“Really, I mean it,” Selene continued. “He’s a bad one, you need to get yourself a good man, get you a man like mine.”

“I thought he was a good man,” the woman sniffed, accepting the tissue that was passed through to her from somewhere near the back of the huddle. “Everytime we met up he always said how beautiful I was and was so nice. I thought he loved me and I know I love him.”

Selene snorted. “Anyone can say that when you get all dolled up and make an effort. No, let me tell you a little story,” two girls pressed closer and Selene shifted to make room. “Arghh, shit!” 

Selene leapt up as her arm brushed the motion sensor on the sink she was sitting on, her arse getting an unexpected shower as the water gushed out of the faucet into the bowl, splashing back to soak her left buttcheek. She glanced down at her pants and everyone held their breath. Would she be angry, would she leave? They all sighed and relaxed again when she simply shrugged and jumped back up onto her perch. 

“What was I saying?”

“You were going to tell us a story,” someone piped up, reminding her.

“She’s fine,” Penelope whispered to Kayo, who nodded. “Let’s leave her to it, it’s her night, if she wants to spend it in a bathroom giving out advice then that's her call to make.”

“Agreed.” Kayo ducked out, letting the door swing shut behind her. Witch was crazy, but they were used to it by now.

“Right! OK, so, you gotta look for the signs, you know?” Selene started, getting back on track. “Like the things that prove to you that the one you love loves you for being you, not what you think they want you to be. So, it was that time of the month, right? You know how it is, you’re grumpy, your womb feels like it’s trying to weld itself to your spine, you’re spotty, bloated and you don't know if you want to scream or cry?” 

Heads all around bobbed in agreement.They had all been there. 

“So, picture the scene, I’m curled up on my bed, heat pad on my back, hugging my pillow, wearing a green tea face mask and I’m watching the world’s saddest movie, Ghost. I was half way through and John walked in. He took one look at me and walked right back out again.”

“Bastard!” someone yelled.

“No, no he’s not. Because he was back ten minutes later. He didn't say a word, he just got up on the bed with me, gave me a big bar of chocolate, kissed me even though I looked awful and sat back to watch the movie with me. He didn’t make fun of it even though I know he hates it, he didn’t interrupt or try to tell me about his day, he just let me be, but he was there with me. He didn't even complain when he cuddled up to him and got my face mask on his shirt. That’s when I knew that when he said he loved me, it wasn’t empty words, if he tells me I’m beautiful, I know he means it. Get you a man like that and you can’t go wrong.”

“Where can I get me one of those?” someone called out. "He's got brothers, right?" 

“Yeah, how did you meet? It’s not been reported online,” another chimed in.

“It’s a funny story,” she grinned. “Which I’m never going to tell because I come off really bad in it.” A chorus of groans rang out. “But it involved him having to rescue me from a dramatic life or death situation.”

“He told me he had to get you out of a tree,” Ridley laughed, having come in to use the toilet but instead found what looked like half the club's occupants camped out around the sinks. "He said you were drunk." 

“Yes, but we don’t talk about that,” Selene mock scolded.

“It’s his thing though, isn’t it? Plucking women out of danger.”

“It’s his job, it is what it is. And I’m sure you remember what it’s like to be in what seems like a hopeless situation and be grateful for the help,” Selene retorted, sipping her drink in an effort to stay calm and continue being her pleasant self.

“Yes, but mine wasn’t my doing.”

Calm be fucked. 

Taking a deep breath Selene knocked back the remainder of her drink and set the glass aside, hopping down from the sink.

“Ladies, I’m very sorry to dip out so soon, but if you give me a few weeks, after my wedding is over, just email me and I’ll do you a three card reading for free, just quote ‘drink up witches’ so I know you were here, but right now I have to have a little chat with this lovely lady right here, it is my hen night after all so I do need to spend some time with my guests.”

Selene was waiting outside, tucked away in a quiet corner, when Ridley emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later. 

“You wanted to talk?” Ridley asked, obviously on the defensive, her tone a little waspish.

“I think we need to, don’t you?” 

“Not really, I mean, it’s pretty obvious you don’t really want me here.”

“Actually, that couldn’t be further from the truth, I had hoped that we could get to know each other better and be friends, if not for our sake then for John’s.”

“Why are you here?” Kayo asked, overhearing as she positioned herself protectively beside Selene, her radar for trouble having led her straight to them.

“John invited me.”

Kayo rolled her eyes, not in the least surprised at that revelation. She’d been there, she’d seen how the woman had put her brother in danger and she still hadn’t forgiven her. “I wonder how that happened?”

Ridley shrugged, obviously trying for casual. “We were having one of our weekly calls and he told me what your plans were and said I should come along since I love London but hadn’t gone in years and your party sounded like fun.”

Selene raised an eyebrow at this new information.

“Is there a problem?” Ridley asked, shifting to lean against the nearest wall.

Selene weighed up her options, keep her mouth shut and let negative thoughts stick with her for the rest of the night, or say what was on her mind and damn the consequences. She was feeling slightly fuzzy headed and when drinking she wasn’t always at her best with decision making, which was probably why she chose door number two.

“Actually, there is, you just reminded me of how good you are at manipulating people and situations to your own ends, especially John.”

“What do you mean by that?” Ridley demanded to know, folding her arms defensively.

Kayo stepped aside, she knew that look on the witches face, it was her go big or go home look, nothing would stop her once she was on a roll. They had all been on the receiving end of one of her home truths and knew she’d say exactly what she thought.

“Let me spell it out for you,” Selene started and Kayo couldn't help but grin, knowing the witch was about to unleash the same hell she had wanted to. “I don’t appreciate the fact that you almost got my husband killed before I had even met him.”

“Yes, before you met him,” Ridley snapped back, straightening up from the wall she had been leaning against. “I’ve learnt my lesson, I’ve been punished, I feel bad enough as it is and honestly it’s really none of your business.”

“Yes, but do you feel bad for yourself or for what you did to him?” Selene silenced her with a look when she opened her mouth to argue. “Let me make one thing perfectly clear right here, right now, it will always be my business when it comes to him, I am marrying him legally in five days-”

“Legally?” Kayo asked, confused, but Selene plowed on as if she hadn’t even heard her, which considering she was now on one of her famous rants, it was entirely possible she was deaf to anything but herself.

“And marrying him will make me a permanent part of his life. I appreciate that you are friends and I have never had a problem with that or with you, but if you ever,” she stepped closer, getting her face up-close and personal with the other womans, “EVER, do anything to endanger him or any of our family again I will know, and I will hunt you down like the bitch I am and I will make you very, very sorry. Are we clear?”

Selene knew that the look on her face at that moment was in no way pleasant, she was at her fiercest when she was defending those she loved and John was the person she loved most in the world. If Ridley knew what was good for her she would think long and hard about her answer.

Ridley’s eyes darted between the woman in front of her and the equally scary one behind her. She swallowed a few times to work up some saliva and licked her lips before she answered.

“Crystal.”

Like a switch had been flicked, Selene leashed her inner psycho, a genuine smile forming as she slung her arm around Ridley’s shoulders, pulling her in for a hug.

“Cool! So, you two go and get a drink, I can already hear Cat singing, so grab a microphone and pick a song for us to duet later, it’ll be so much fun. I’ll meet you in the bar, alright?” She hugged her again. “I’m so glad we had this chat, I feel it’s cleared the air, don’t you? I’m so happy we can be friends now.”

Kayo took the hint, and grabbed Ridley by the arm when Selene released her. “Come on, you heard her, to the bar.”

“What just happened?” Ridley asked as Kayo towed her away.

“You just got Selene’d, congratulations, that means she accepts you, she's forgiving like that, we’ve all been there. But, just for the record, she wouldn’t be the only one on the hunt.”

Selene watched them go, feeling her limbs begin to tremble as the adrenaline that had coursed through her body slowly drained away. Air, she needed to get some air.

***

John breathed a sigh of relief as he closed the fire exit door behind him and tugged on his jacket. Alan, now his favorite brother, had taken his newly appointed role as best man seriously and, after being sworn to secrecy, had created a much needed distraction by throwing the stripper’s clothes at her. John, never one to waste an opportunity, had seized his chance to make his escape, slipping out of the bar, hightailing it down the hall to the back door and freedom. 

Trouble was, now that he was out of there, he had no idea where he wanted to go or what he wanted to do. This was supposed to be his night and so far it hadn’t been that spectacular, though in all honesty, the only thing he felt like doing now was go to bed. After the uncomfortable conversations, blaring music and unwanted touches he was craving some quiet time to himself.

He started walking, not really picking any direction in particular, just aiming in the general direction of their hotel and enjoying the night air after the stuffy interior of the club. He wasn’t usually one for crowds, but cities were different, there was a certain anonymity about a big city crowd. No one cared who you were, no one wanted to talk to you, they just wanted to get where they were going and were solely focused inwardly on themselves and their pursuits. It was peaceful, but he knew he couldn’t stay out there all night, he had to pick somewhere, it was just too bad that none of the museums were open at, he looked at his watch, ten at night.

They had a nice hotel room just waiting for them and the temptation to make use of it was too great. He’d text his brothers once he got there and let them know to go out on their own, at least then some of them would have a good night. Decision made, he quickened his step.

While their hotel near Regent Street was in one of the quieter parts of the capital there were still a large number of clubs, bars and restaurants, as well as street vendors and the combined smells of so many regional foods was making him hungry. They had eaten at the club earlier but it really hadn’t been to his tastes and now that he was earthside he was craving his favorite cheeseburger. Since Selene wasn’t with him he could indulge in as many extra pickles as he wanted. If he spotted a burger stand he would have to stop for one to take back to the hotel, the ones you got from room service were never as good as something that had been cooked on a greasy griddle out in the open. God, his mouth was watering at the thought.

His eyes scanned the scenery, checking out everything on offer, zeroing in on a likely candidate. Checking for oncoming traffic, he crossed to the other side of the street, dodged around a small cluster of ladies exiting a wine bar and stopped dead, a smile forming on his face.

“Here ya go, extra vinegar, extra salt, double ketchup,that’ll be four-fifty, love,” the man said, holding out his payment pad for her thumb print.

“Thanks so much,” Selene pushed her thumb against the scanner, holding it there until it beeped. She reached for her chips but froze when a pair of arms slid their way around her waist. She stiffened, her arm drawing back, ready to elbow her attacker where it would hurt, but relaxed when a low voice purred in her ear.

“Is there any chance you feel like sharing those with me, beautiful?”

“Is this man bothering you, love?” the owner of the food van asked, leaning over the counter protectively.

“Only every day of my life,” she laughed.

“You know him?”

“I’m marrying her in five days,” John told him. “I assure you, I’m safe, but I thank you for your concern.”

“Can you add a double cheeseburger, extra pickles to my order, please?” Selene asked, leaving her chips where they were so she could drop her hands down to his, entwining their fingers.

"Yeah, no problem," the vendor said, whistling softly as he slapped two patties onto his griddle now that he'd seen to his customers safety. 

"So, did you escape or are the others around here somewhere? Do I need to feed them too?" 

"I escaped," he answered, resting his chin on her shoulder as he hugged her against his chest. "What about you?" 

"Escaped, needed some air and some food that wasn't doll sized."

"Here you go," the vendor placed the burger down beside her chips. "Enjoy."

"Thank you," John relinquished his hold on her to scoop up the food. "Do you have time to sit with me a while and eat this or were you wanting to head back?" 

"Stupid question, you're always my first choice."

"Want to find somewhere quiet then?" 

"Thought you'd never ask."

For October the night was only a little chilly and they opted to stay outside to eat, finding a bench where they could sit and watch the world go by. John picked the pickles out of his burger and ate them first, knowing she would want to steal a few bites while she unwrapped her chips and balanced them between them, using their knees as a makeshift table. 

As always, they fell into easy chatting as they ate, feeling relaxed now that they were away from their respective groups. 

"How was the club?" Selene asked once he'd finished his burger and she had eaten her fill of chips. 

"Awful, it was like stepping back in time and not in a good way. You know those kind of gentleman’s clubs you see in old movies, where the men are all sitting around in their leather wingback chairs, swirling brandy around large glasses and puffing on their cigars while surrounded on all sides with their trophy kills that adorn the walls?"

She nodded, able to picture it perfectly in her mind. 

"It was like that, really not our thing. Dad said that it was a Cape Kennedy tradition to join up with the branch there and he paid for a lifetime membership for himself and all of us. He said that those places were where the men really did their business, not in boardrooms. It's where politicians are born and deals are stuck and it helped him get his company off the ground."

"Still not selling it to me, babe."

"Wasn't selling it for me either, I've no interest in doing that kind of business."

"Then why go?" 

"The others thought it would be quieter, they meant well but it didn't really fit f-" 

John's phone beeped at the same moment as Selene’s, interrupting him and he sat up to dig it out of his back pocket, balancing it on his knee so he could finish the chips while she rummaged around in her bag in an effort to locate hers. 

"Yeah?" he answered, muffled by a mouthful of chips. 

"John!" Kayo’s worried face popped up, her blueish tinged hologram glowing brightly in the darkness. "We've lost Selene, there was an incident with Ridley, but she seemed fine, now we can’t find her, can you track her, she's not got her comm with her, just her phone.”

John raised an eyebrow, glancing at Selene who smiled back innocently, having extracted her own phone. He gave her his ‘dont try that with me’ look, patent pending, but she blew him a kiss as Scott’s head erupted from her screen with all his usual impatience.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“We lost John. He was right there but by the time we’d finished paying off the stripper he’d gone. Can you call him? He's not answering us, we've tried four times."

It was Selene’s turn to throw a look, John shrugged in return. Selene nodded at his comm and then her’s and, with perfect synchronicity, they both turned their cameras to display the other.

“How the fuck did that happen?” Scott demanded to know.

“Did you two literally just sneak out of your own parties so you could meet up and get food?” Kayo accused.

“Totally unintentional, I promise,” Selene soothed. “We just happened to be in the same place at the same time and were both hungry.”

“I don’t believe you but right now I don’t care, just get your ass back here!” Kayo ordered before cutting the call.

“Looks like I’m in trouble,” Selene winced.

“So is John,” Scott snarled. “We’re on our way, don’t go anywhere, I’ll track you down if you do!” He too vanished as the call ended.

“Do I want to know about the stripper?” Selene asked as she tucked her phone away.

“No. Do I want to know about this ‘incident’?” 

“Nope, it’s sorted now.”

“Agree to never speak of this again?”

“Agreed,” Selene sighed, leaning her head against his shoulder. “I think I had better go, it’s not really fair of me to have left all my friends alone in a club when they don’t know everyone.”

“It was totally fair of me to leave mine alone, they deserved it, but I understand on your part.”

“Can I get a kiss before I go?” 

“Is that allowed? It’s your bachelorette after all, aren’t you supposed to be flirting with random strangers and starting bar fights?” John teased, leaning closer to close the gap between them.

“I’d never want a random stranger and we just won’t talk about almost starting a fight,” she grinned.

“Wait, you almost started a fi-” She silenced him with her lips against his, sighing happily as the world narrowed down to just the two of them, because in that moment he was her world, he was all she needed, everything else was just filler. 

The kiss was rather chaste and over far too quickly but they were in the middle of a street and beginning to draw attention, so he broke away, dropping a little kiss on her nose as a farewell gesture.

“You had better get going before Kayo hunts you down.”

“I know,” Selene dragged herself reluctantly to her feet. “I’ll see you back at the hotel?”

“Yep, though I don’t know when, I had hoped to make a clean getaway but my plans were thwarted by a beautiful woman with a bag of fries.”

“Can’t win em all,” Selene laughed as she forced herself to walk away. It sucked quite honestly, she was supposed to be out having a good time with her friends, celebrating her upcoming wedding but half her friends, including her best friend, weren’t there with her. She stopped dead, an idea forming as she turned back to face him. “Babe?”

“Hmm?” he glanced up from his phone.

“I know you’re not a huge fan of karaoke, but do you want to come with me?”

“Is that even allowed?”

“Who cares? It’s not traditional, but then when have we been following that if we can help it?” she shrugged. “It’ll keep everyone else occupied and that way we can all have fun together. It’s my friend’s club, it’s not that crowded and they have VIP sections we can use if we need some peace. Come on, what do you say?” she held out her hand in offer.

John thought about it for a moment or two. No, it wasn’t traditional, but it would be a damn sight better than whatever his idiot brothers could dream up at this late hour, who knew how far they would go? Merging their parties was the most obvious and probably best solution.

“I say I’m in, but I warn you, I refuse to sing,” he got up and took her hand, although one thing made him pause. "Sel? Why is your butt wet?"


	60. I Can't Marry You.

"I really like your John, he's a good guy, bit quiet but compared to the people we're used to everyone is," Tanzanite leant against the door frame, already dressed in her priestess robes and ready to start the ceremony whenever they were. "It's good to see Virgil again too, I've left Nikos with him so they can talk wolf stuff." 

"Aww, that's nice, at least Nikos isn't at the mercy of Gordon and Alan," Selene paused to sweep another brush full of shadow across her left eyelid. "And I know John's great, obviously I like him too, since I'm marrying him and everything."

Tanzi smiled. "It's good to see you so happy, your aura is all big and shiny now, the last time I saw you it was pulled in tight and a dark, painful red. I've never met someone so prickly."

"I was having a bad time, OK. I'd been through some shit, I was still processing. You know what it's like with a prickly aura, no one comes near you if you don't want them to, it's your armour. It was my go away vibes."

"But you ended up with me anyway and I've never seen it work so quick."

Selene frowned. What the heck was she talking about? Was Tanzi getting her confused with someone else? She leant in closer to her mirror, only half listening to her friend as she balanced her elbow carefully on the dresser and swept a perfect line of black liquid liner along her lash line, flicking up in a little cat's eye. 

"What happened quickly? The effectiveness of my idiot repelling aura?" 

"No, dopey," Tanzi rolled her eyes. "You weren't that drunk that night."

"What night? I've got no idea what you're talking about."

"Solstice, two years ago? You joined in with my spell circle, the star wish?" 

As soon as Tanzi said the words Selene knew exactly what she was referring to, the memories came rushing back like the words of a forgotten song, there at the back of your mind but unable to be conjured up until you heard it again. 

Oh…crap! Her brain skidded to a halt, her heart pounding in her chest. Oh fuck… Oh no. 

"Sel? Are you alright? Do you feel okay? Do I need to get someone for you?" 

Oh shit, oh shit, oh fuck! Selene wrung her hands together, catching the ring on her finger where very soon another was supposed to join it. 

"FUCK!" 

What was she going to do? She had to tell him. She couldn't keep it from him, he had rights. He deserved to know. Gods, this could ruin everything. 

She dropped her head into her hands. She'd known it was too good to be true. The fates were cruel bitches, toying with her heart for her own amusement. 

"I'm gonna go and get your mum…"

"No!" Selene yelped, startling herself out of her panicking spiral. She glanced at the clock, an hour and a half, that's all they had left. 

"John, I need to speak to him."

"Isn't it traditional that he doesn't see you-"

"Fuck tradition! I need him, please, please go, get out." She fumbled with her phone, fingers feeling uncoordinated, like useless lumpy sausages that wouldn't obey her commands. "I have to talk to him, right now. Where is he? I have to find him." 

"I can stay if you need me."

"No, please , just go, I… I have to tell him something."

Tanzi looked like she wanted to argue, but the look she saw on Selene's face must have stopped her. "Okay," she sighed. "But I'll be right outside if you need me."

Selene nodded her thanks, not even looking up, too busy tapping away at the screen. 

John's phone vibrated on the dressing table, already on silent. He frowned, not expecting any calls. The GDF were on hand to deal with any emergency calls they might get, EOS fielding them all, instructed that there was to be no interruptions. All his family were there already so there should be no one to even message him. 

He picked it up, the screen unlocking automatically when it registered his hand print. His face creased into a worried frown as he read her message the simple words 'I have to tell you something' lacking her usual cheery tone. How could six little words sound so ominous, was she trying to scare him? What on earth could be wrong?

They had woken up at the ungodly hour of three in the morning after a very early night and, despite the early start, had both been in good spirits. They had laid together in bed for the first five minutes, just taking the time to cuddle and share a few whispered words before they had broken apart. 

They weren't nervous, why should they be? They had been married her way for a year already and nothing had changed between them, why would this be any different? This was just a public, and legal, declaration of their commitment and love and he for one couldn't wait for it. 

They had shared one last kiss, one last 'love you' and a 'see you soon' before she had been hustled off for a quick shower and then to begin her transformation into his bride. What could have changed since then? 

Not bothering to button up his shirt or even pull on his suit pants he took the stairs two at a time, fixing a calming expression on his face that he really didn't feel. He burst into the guest room that had become wedding prep central, expecting to see the reason for his summoning. 

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" 

He stopped dead when he saw her face, registered the silent tear that escaped her iron-clad control. 

"Selene?" he took a step forward but she stopped him with a swiftly raised hand. 

"Please, I can't cope if you touch me, I won't be able to go through with this."

"Go through with what? Selene, sweetheart, you're scaring me right now." He'd only left her an hour ago, what could have happened in that short space of time? He wanted to hold her, wanted to pull her into his arms and promise her that they would fix whatever it was that was wrong, because surely it couldn't be that bad? They were getting married in just over an hour, everything was carefully planned and as perfect as it could ever be. Nothing should be wrong. He took another step but stopped when she shifted her stool back a bit. He understood not wanting to be touched, but that was a him thing, not a her thing. She always wanted comfort, she always wanted a hug. She was the first person to throw herself into his arms when she was upset, instinctively seeking him out. She didn't hide things from him, she didn't have secrets, so what the hell was this about? 

He backed off, lowering himself into the seat she indicated, not saying a word, waiting for her to speak. Her words, when they finally came, left him cold and numb with shock, unable to believe what she had just said. He had to have made a mistake, he had to be wrong. 

"I'm sorry, can you repeat that?" 

"I said I can't marry you, not like this, I have to tell you the truth."

***

"Well, that was a nice evening, wasn't it?" Selene tried, needing to break the silence that had engulfed the car from the moment they had got in. 

Nate ignored her, keeping his eyes firmly on the road ahead as he drove along the quiet streets. 

"I know it's late, but do you maybe want to watch an episode of something when we get in? We could cuddle up on the sofa with a hot chocolate, that might be nice."

Nothing. She glanced over to see his fingers stiff on the wheel, his jaw clenched in obvious annoyance. Shit. 

"Or we could just go straight to bed if you're tired, or even if you're not…" she let her sentence trail off, her offer clear. Honestly she wasn't in the mood for anything like that, all she wanted was a shower and to go to sleep but he was forever complaining that she didn't initiate proceedings enough and that he always had to do the hard work. 

He shot a sideways glance at her, accompanied by an impatient dismissive noise. 

"I guess that's a no then," she sighed. "I'm sorry, I just thought it might be a nice way to round off our evening, we don't go out much anymore and it was nice to get out of the house. We don't do enough together anymore."

He declined to answer. 

"Okay, I'm sorry, I'll let you concentrate on the road." Driving looked so complicated. He told her that it was simple but the two times he had tried to teach her had ended in disaster. 

Apparently she was not a good student in anything but her incompatibility with anything technical or mechanical had shone through. 

He'd been incredibly frustrated with her and her inability to grasp even the most simple of his instructions. He had given her a brief run down of what everything did and then expected her to be able to drive instantly. 

It's simple, he had said, a monkey could drive, You're doing this on purpose, he'd accused, you're taking the piss out of me, wasting my time. You don't actually want to drive, you're being deliberately dense so that, as usual, I have to drive everywhere so you can just sit back like Lady Muck and be chauffeured around like you own the joint. Too big for your own boots, you are. 

They'd given up after that and she'd been put off the idea of ever getting behind the wheel ever again. 

He kept up his stony silence until he swung the car into the drive and yanked on the parking break, cutting the engine. 

He opened his door and got out, shutting it quietly behind him. She scrambled to keep up, fumbling hands undoing her seat belt and grabbing for her bag and coat. She got out of the car, knowing he was waiting to lock it behind her and Nate didn't like to wait. 

She hugged her coat to her chest like it was a Teddy bear, preparing herself for the worst, not knowing what form his bad mood was going to take. Would he take his silent rain cloud mood to bed with them? That wouldn't be so bad actually, at least that way she would be able to go to sleep early and get the day over with as soon as possible. 

Even though she was prepared, Selene still jumped as the door slammed violently behind her, trapping her in the hallway with him between her and freedom. 

"Why did you do that?" he demanded to know, although he kept his tone low and even, as if he were making an effort to be reasonable. Slowly, methodically, he stripped off his jacket and tossed it over the banister as he always did even though they had perfectly good coat hooks by the door. 

"I…I didn't do anything." Her fingers tightened on her bag strap, needing to feel something solid, safe. 

He bent down to remove one shoe, then the other. 

"Well, you would say that, wouldn't you? You never think you've done anything wrong, but that's your problem, you never think. Do you even have a brain in that head of yours? Because I'm seriously beginning to doubt it."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, keeping her eyes lowered, not willing to risk looking at him and pissing him off further, of breaking through his tightly held control to the anger that she knew was bubbling away underneath.

He was right, she hadn't thought hard enough about what she was doing or what she was saying, she should have known better. She knew she was embarrassing, knew that she didn't act the right way or say the right things, but she was trying so hard and he was giving her no credit at all. 

She'd known she would be in for shit as soon as they got home because he'd gone silent on her. He always did that, refused to talk to her the whole time, refusing to answer her, leaving her to worry and stew on the ramifications of the things she'd supposedly done wrong that time. It was hard to tell, he changed his mind on what he found acceptable as often as she changed her underwear. What was acceptable one social occasion would be considered as her greatest fuck up the next. 

"Oh, you're sorry?" he echoed, forcing out a humourless laugh. "You're always sorry, but you never do a fucking thing about it! YOU NEVER CHANGE, SELENE!" 

The change in volume made her jump, as well he knew. He knew her well, knew how she reacted to certain triggers, to certain things he said or did. 

"I'm sorry ...I'll try harder, I'll change. I just need to know what you want from me."

"I just want you to be normal! Is that too much to fucking ask? That my woman isn't a fucking freak that I can't take anywhere for fear that she's going to open her big, fat mouth and say something stupid? Ghosts this time? Fucking ghosts! What are you, some kind of idiot? All I want you to do is keep your fucking mouth shut and not show me up in front of my friends every time I'm good enough to take you out somewhere."

"Maybe if we went out with my friends -" 

"Your friends? Those weirdos are as bad as you! I thought I told you not to see them any more? They're a bad influence on you, they encourage you in your ridiculous ways. Well no more, I've had it, Selene, this is the last time. You need to grow the fuck up before it's too late."

"No, they aren't, they are my friends, good friends-" 

"Oh, just good friends are they? Bullshit! You just don't give a shit about what I want or how I feel. You're probably lining up your next sucker ready to take my place once you've bled me dry." 

"That's not true, I'd never do that."

"Bullshit! I've seen the way you act with your 'friends'. You're always hanging all over them, always touching them, it's not right, Selene, it's not appropriate. You have no self respect, acting like a slut to anyone that comes along that might give you an ounce of attention, admit it, you're just an attention whore. You love the spotlight, you love to be the center of attention, always saying and doing your weird shit to get people to notice you."

"I have never been inappropriate with anyone, not at all."

"So you think that's appropriate, do you? You think that touching other people, hugging other people is allowed? Do you know how it feels to have people asking you if your woman is cheating on you because of how she acts?" 

"What others think shouldn't matter."

"Of course it does! You just ignore it! People think you're a freak and a tramp. You don't care about what others think or if you make them uncomfortable, you only care about yourself. I'm not the only one that's noticed it or that thinks it's not right, but you don't seem to care about the fact that you have a fiancé and that they have wives and girlfriends, you just drape yourself all over them like it's normal. Well it's not. It doesn't seem to matter to you what others want as long as you're getting your own way, as long as you're getting the attention." 

She stayed silent, not knowing what to say that wouldn't make things worse. 

"What, you've got nothing to say now that there's no one here to listen to your shit? No one here to embarrass me in front of? Not gonna deny that you're sleeping around?" 

She shook her head, not even willing to try to talk to him but needing to deny his accusation. She knew this mood and she didn't like it. He'd never see anyone's view but his own. She'd told him time and time again that she wasn't doing anything wrong, she was just an affectionate person, she didn't think there was anything wrong with cuddling someone that wasn't him. She'd given up on trying to convince him she wasn't cheating on him, he had his own views and his own opinions. This conversation turn happened on a regular basis, every time she went out somewhere, talked to a friend on the phone or had any kind of life away from him. 

He snorted, apparently unimpressed with her silence, yet another thing to add to the list of things he wasn't happy with that evening, her latest fuck up giving him all the ammunition he needed to start a argument and let all his frustrations out on her. 

She had tried so hard to follow his orders and do her best and she'd thought she'd managed it, they had made it all the way through to dessert and she'd kept her head down and mouth shut. She hadn't meant to fuck up and let it slip out, she'd been trying to keep it on the down low. But the spirit had been right there beside his friend and had been trying to get his attention. Selene had tried to ignore it, she'd looked away and refused to look back, but something must have shown on her face. She'd been distracted, trying so hard to keep her attention on her plate and away from the spirit that she didn't register that his words were meant as a joke.

If she'd had been paying attention when Nate's other friend had told her that she looked like she had seen a ghost, she wouldn't have been so shocked and would have stopped herself before she could ask if he saw it too. 

All conversation at the table had stopped at her question and all heads had swivelled in her direction. It was at that moment that she'd known she had fucked up yet again. 

Nate had looked at her with pure hatred in his eyes, his nostrils flaring like he'd just smelt something rotten and the rotten thing was her. He'd lectured her the whole way to the restaurant, reminding her of all the times she'd embarrassed him before and how many times she'd said the wrong thing.

"Well? Answer me!" 

Shit, she had zoned out again, what had he said? She didn't dare ask him to repeat himself. One of his many pet peeves with her was when he thought she wasn't listening to him. 

"I'm sorry," she began, struggling to stay calm, trying so hard to keep the tears at bay. He hated it when she cried, he said it was just an act to make him feel sorry for her, self pitying bullshit, he called it. She couldn't help it that she was sensitive or that confrontation often made her cry from the stress of it. 

"You aren't sorry, you're never sorry, you dumb bitch!" She didn't see the hand coming until it was too late to duck, an open handed slap that snapped her head back making her gasp in shock as the firey pain spread across her cheek and lip where it had split open, his ring having grazed her skin. 

Tears filled her eyes as she rounded on him, but they were those of anger, not hurt. 

"Get the fuck out of this house." 

"Excuse me? How dare you! You're the one in the wrong here! You finally managed to stop stuffing your fat face long enough to talk and that's what you came out with?" 

"No, how dare you. How dare you lay a hand on me! How dare you talk to me like I'm a piece of shit on your shoe! No more, Nathaniel, no more. We're over. Get out." He had to be able to hear the anger in her voice, the conviction, but he chose to ignore it. 

"You don't mean that," he sneered. "This isn't the first time you've broken up with me. You'll come crawling back, you always do."

"Not this time," she took the heavy ring off her finger, the one that he insisted on buying, insisted she wear even though she hadn’t wanted it. He’d never asked her to marry him, he’d just told her they were going to get married and that everyone would know that she was his. His woman, his property, his object to own and display when he felt like it and tuck away when he didn't.

It was ugly, gaudy, too large for her slender fingers, a big emerald, a stone she didn’t like that didn't suit her. She'd never liked it, it wasn't something she would have ever picked for herself and it just proved that he didn't know her at all. She hated it, it got in the way, it weighed her hand down, it was forever spinning around on her finger because it had never fitted properly but when she had told him that he had called her ungrateful so she’d never pushed the point. Now she felt absolutely no loss as she dropped it in his jacket pocket, she never wanted to see it again.

"Do you honestly think anyone else will want you? Look at you, you fat, lazy, useless bitch. You’ll need to get a real job, get your head out of the stars and start living in the real world, because I’m telling you, if you let me walk out of that door you’ll be alone forever. You’ll never afford this place on your own, you’ll starve without my money to live off.”

Selene listened as he continued to spit his bile at her, his words hitting her hard, burrowing under her skin as they always did, chipping away at her already shattered self esteem. He was right, she’d been here before, telling him to leave, telling him it was over, yet he always managed to coax her back with either pretty words full of love and apologies or with the fear that he spoke the truth, that she was unlovable, too strange and different, too weird for her own good. But he’d never gone this far before, he’d never physically hit her. Thrown things, yes, screamed in her face too many times to count, but laying a hand on her, that had been his last mistake.

“I don’t care. Leave. You have two minutes before I call the authorities and get them to remove you whilst having you arrested for assault. Go. Now.” Her voice was even now, all traces of anger gone, her body flooded with a deadly calm that she had never felt before. And he sensed it, sensed that her mind was made up, that he'd lost this battle. 

Nathaniel looked shocked and she knew why, she’d never stood up to him before, she’d never stood up for herself. His face twisted into a look of disgust that she tried not to take too personally.

“I was only with you out of pity until someone better came along, you’ll miss me before I miss you!” 

"I doubt that."

He yanked on his shoes, grabbed his jacket and opened the door, the cold night air rushing in, cooling on her burning face. “I’ll send Jake to pick up my stuff, I don’t want to have to see your ugly mug again.”

With that parting blow he slammed the door behind him, walking out of her life after four years of hell, of put downs, of being bullied and pushed into things she didn’t want to do and she had finally taken a stand.

She huffed out a relieved breath, not even realising she had been holding it in. He was gone. Nate was gone. The enormous weight that had been so heavy on her shoulders for so long had gone and with it came a light feeling of utter relief. 

She wrapped her arms around herself, shocked to find that she was shaking, the adrenaline that had given her such strength draining away. She just managed to lock the front door and stumble to the couch before collapsing, the reality of the situation finally hitting home.

When the tears wanted to come she let them, let them run hot and free down her face, allowed herself to sob and wail as much as she wanted, no longer silencing herself with a hand over her mouth while she hid in the shower where he wouldn't see her so she could blame her red eyes on a shampoo accident.

What if he was right? What if he was as good as she was ever going to get? What if he truly was all that she deserved? She had believed in good things once upon a time, when she had been young and naive, she had believed in true love and the perfect person for her, one who wouldn’t care that she wasn’t the standard definition of normal. He would simply love her, with no conditions, no bargaining, no compromises.

She sniffed, wiping away the tears, refusing to mope any more. This was a good thing, this was a new start for her. So what if she was alone? Alone wasn't a bad thing compared to what being with someone had put her through. She had done her time, she had compromised, given up a part of herself for someone that didn't deserve it, had done everything she could to please him, to be the person he wanted her to be and still it hadn’t been enough. She was never giving up her freedom again, she was never going to pretend to be someone she wasn't.

She slept on the couch that night, unable to face going back to the bed they had shared, to the place where she had given him her body whether she was in the mood or not, guilted into complying with his needs through a misguided sense of duty and love. 

She'd slept in late, waking when she wanted to, not when she had to and indulged in a luxuriously long bath, something he hadn’t agreed with, according to him it was yet another thing that made her lazy. For once she forced herself to look in the mirror as she dried off. How had she allowed him to talk down to her for so long? How had she allowed herself to believe that she was the hideous, disgusting blob that he painted her as? Sure she was a little curvier than most of her friends, softly rounded rather than sleekly muscled, but she was hardly an elephant. She didn't eat that much, but she had always enjoyed food and before Nathaniel she'd had a relatively thick skin, being comfortable in her own body, but now each morsel that passed her lips had made her feel like she was failing him and herself. Well no more, she told herself firmly, you are fine as you are. 

Once dry she had stood in front of her empty wardrobe, having pulled everything out before dismissing each and every item, letting them drop to the floor. How had she not realised this before? All the times he had surprised her with a new top or pair of jeans, all the times he had been so helpful in cleaning out the closets to make room for her new things, systematically stripping her of her choice in clothing and replacing it with his. There was nothing of her left in there, nothing at all. 

She looked around the house that they had called home but that had never felt that way to her. She didn't like it, it had never felt right. It was cold and sterile, like a show home from some glitzy website or social media influencer, a carbon copy of what everyone else had. There was nothing there that she wanted, nothing that she would miss.

She pulled on the plainest things she could find, the best of a bad lot of floral nightmares and too tight shirts that played up to his idea of what was sexy. Grabbing a stool she pushed it up against the kitchen side and climbed up on it, stretching right to the back of the kitchen cupboard and took down the box of cereal that he never touched. 

Reaching in she dug around in the flakes of corn and carefully extracted her tarot deck, her pendulum and her athame, the only items she had ever been able to hide from him, everything else he had found and thrown away. Placing them carefully in her bag she grabbed her jacket and left without a backwards glance, locking the door for the last time, posting the keys through the letterbox. She was done there.

To say that her parents were surprised to see her when she turned up on their door carrying a mass of shopping bags, her usually dark blonde hair now a dark wave of black with purple highlights and a bruise on her cheek, would be an understatement. Yet she was welcomed with open arms, a warm drink and a pissed off father who had to be locked in the house to stop him going after the man who had hurt his daughter, although nothing could dissuade him from calling the police to report the incident.

Selene had stayed with them for a year, building up her self esteem again, doing all the things she’d been unable to do because he didn't like them. She had seen her friends, she'd drank, she'd partied and attended rituals practicing her craft and building up her reputation and her client list, working to give herself the life that she wanted.

***

"So, are you putting your name down for the single mingle circle this year?" Alegra asked , waggling her eyebrows suggestively. "Could be fun."

"Seriously? Me, joining them? I don't think so."

"Come on, Sel, it's been four years, don't you think it's time to get back on the broom?" There was that tone again, the one that said it was wood she was talking about but it definitely wasn't used for sweeping or flying. "You're only twenty-seven, you're too young to be an old maid, you don't even have a cat."

"I'm a witch, not a nun, Al, I'm not a born again virgin, I can assure you I've not sealed up down there."

"Your BOB doesn't count as a relationship, would it really hurt to join in?" 

"Nope, not going there," Selene shook her head firmly, sipping her wine. "I'm not going to throw myself at the first available guy that looks like he has all his own teeth and could afford to treat me to a portion of chips. I don't need anyone, I don't want anyone."

"Sel, the perfect guy for you could be out there somewhere just waiting for you and you're so closed off you'll never even notice him." 

"The perfect guy? I doubt that very much, there's no such thing, not for me," Selene snorted in amusement. "You know my dating history and a checkered one it is too. I always pick the shit ones, the ones with issues that are so judgemental they can't handle me. Nope, I'm good on my own, thank you very much."

"So you don't believe in soul mates now?"

"This coming from the bitch that's lucky enough to have found hers already. It's not that I don't believe in them, I just don't think mine is hanging around with us in this field waiting for me to head over and fall into his arms."

"Well you could still find yours, there are other ways, it's summer solstice the season of love," Alegra grinned. "I think you should do it." 

"Do what?" 

"The soul mate spell."

Selene burst out laughing. Soul Mate spell? Was she crazy?

"No way, I don't want anyone, I don't want to be tied down to anyone again. I'm not taking on anyone's baggage, and believe me, they all come with baggage, you just don't see it at the check in desk."

"Oh, OK, no it's fine I get it," Alegra said innocently. 

"Get what?" Selene was instantly suspicious. 

"That you're scared," she finished, sucking on her straw. 

"Don't be stupid," Selene scoffed. "I'm not scared, I'm just not stupid. I know my luck and all of it is bad. If I do have one, which I highly doubt, he's probably already hooked up with three kids and I missed the boat."

"Then doing the spell won't make any difference, will it? Go on, live a little."

Selene groaned, knowing her friend far too well, nothing would shut her up. Once she got her teeth into something she was like a dog with a bone, not giving up until she got her own way. She would nag and beg for days. Selene wasn't really feeling the celebrations that night if she was honest with herself, it would be better to just give in gracefully at this point and rescue the evening before she went home. 

"Will it shut you up?" 

"Yep," Alegra grinned. 

"Urghh, fine! What do I have to do?" 

"Not a lot, Tanzi is running the circle tonight, she'll help you."

Ten minutes later Selene had stripped off, leaving her naked and shivering slightly in the cool night air with nothing but a pretty wand in one hand and a small chalice of mead in the other. 

"We dedicate this mead to Aphrodite, Eros and Eos, those of love, the dawn and new beginnings. We call upon Frigga, Hathor, Juno, Cupid and Venus and ask that you bestow upon us your blessings." Selene joined in with the invocation, speaking along with three other women and two men who all hoped to win the favour of the gods so that their soul mate would be found and sent into their life. 

"Now," Tanzanite, the organiser of the ritual continued, "dip your wands in the glitter cauldron and sprinkle it above your head. Then, look up and find the brightest star you can, pick your star and say your heartfelt prayer. Open your hearts and call to your perfect love, they will hear you."

Selene schooled her face so she wouldn't laugh. It wasn't that she didn't believe in the power of spells, of course she did, she was just a little dubious of anything that involved glitter. 

She waited her turn then dutiful tipped her head up to the sky. It was a clear night, out here in their little clearing away from the bonfires and merriment of the solstice celebrations and the sky above her head was filled with glittering stars for as far as her eyes could see. 

How did she pick just one? How did she even know if it was a star or not without her charts? Remembering things had never been her strong point and with a sky that seemed to look different every time she looked at it, she had no clue. What if she picked the wrong one? 

This is stupid, she thought, huffing under her breath, why was she even worrying about this so much? It wasn't like she cared about the outcome or even wanted it to work. She had been truthful when she had told Alegra that she didn't want to find anyone, she liked her life as it was. 

"Selene, do you need help?" Tanzi called over to her. 

"Nope, I'm good, thanks." She let her gaze roam the sky again and finally settled on a bright pinprick in the sky. Tanzi had told them to pick one of the patrons they had invoked to petition and, not really being one for love spells anyway, she picked at random. 

She closed her eyes briefly, taking a few deep breaths, allowing the magical energy of the night to shimmer through her veins, building up inside her. She didn't think there was anyone out there that could put up with her, she was a lost cause, but she was there now and she wasn't one to sabotage a spell by not giving it her all. 

Visualisation was a witches most powerful tool but she honestly didn't know what or who to picture. How did you picture someone you didn't know? She shrugged, giving up and opened her eyes, looking back up to the star she had picked. She lifted her arms, palms up and let out her power in a soft wave, feeling it tingling between her fingers. 

"With these magic words, I begin my spell.  
Hear me, O mystic star, Eos, hear me well.  
Let your magic light, send me the love of my life.  
The spell has now been cast, So mote it be."

"Sel, you forgot the glitter," Tanzi reminded her. Selene made a face, she hadn't forgotten, she'd just tried to ignore it. 

Reluctantly she picked up the wand, dipped it in the glitter and flicked it half heartedly above her head. She reclaimed her chalice, saluted the star and the small altar by which Tanzi stood and sipped the mead, sealing the spell by ingesting it. 

Everyone in the circle cheered and she tried to join in but she just didn't feel the same sense of hope and jubilation that the others did.

She didn't want to be a party pooper and bring everyone down with her mood, so she thanked Tanzi, pulled her dress back on and made her excuses, leaving the circle as soon as she could. 

She didn't want to be at the celebrations at all, truth be told. Being surrounded by people and couples there to be handfast, jumping the broom for fertility and a happy life together, that was her idea of torture. She'd been looking forward to the night at first but now, after that spell, she felt a little flat and bitter. All she wanted to do was go home, sit on her roof and watch the sunrise over the streets of London. 

Mind made up, unable to stand it any longer she picked up her broom from the storage area, said her early goodbyes by pleading sickness and made her escape. Her nice little firepit and her even nicer bed was calling to her like a siren and she was more than ready to be lured away. 

***

"I guess you don't need to hear the rest," Selene sighed. "You were there." 

John swallowed, unable to believe what he had just heard. The things she had told him, they were just horrible. His mind whirled, images conjured up by her words, images that came with a large does of anger. 

"John, please say something," her voice wobbled, sounding so small and unsure, something he'd never heard from her before and never wanted to hear again. "I understand if you hate me now, but please, please believe me when I say that I never meant to hide anything from you, I never meant for this to happen."

"For what to happen?" he had to ask, he had to know what she meant. Did she not want to be with him? She had said enough times during her story and in the first six months they were together, that she never wanted to get married and the wedding itself had been nothing but a big cause of stress for her. Had she given up? Was she done with it and him? 

"Taking away your free will. We have rules, we don't do spells on people or for people without their permission." Her eyes searched his face, which had been carefully neutral for far too long.

He almost sighed in relief, finally catching up with the path her mind had taken. Selene had always been a big one for consent and now, having just heard all about how her ex had treated her, he had a much better understanding of how her mind worked. 

"Are you quite finished?" 

She nodded, pulling her robe tighter around her shoulders, suddenly feeling very vulnerable and more unsure than she had been in years. 

"Good. Can I speak now?" 

She nodded again, preparing herself for the worst. She'd been broken up with before but nothing, nothing would hurt more than this. 

"I'm in love with an idiot," he muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. 

She frowned, that wasn't what she had expected him to say, especially as that was her line. 

"I'm sorry?" 

"You've said that already, not that you had any reason to." He just wanted to hold her, to wrap her up in his arms and protect her from everything and everyone that might ever wish to do her harm or even dare to look at her sideways. But he also knew that, much like himself, she had times when she needed to be left alone, she needed not to be touched until she was ready. 

"I didn't?" 

"Let me make sure I've got this straight. Your asshole ex treated you terribly, he hurt you and abused your love and trust and destroyed your faith in yourself and your worthiness," he paused, checking she was listening. "You did a spell, asking for your soul mate the night we met and I'm supposed to be, what, pissed off with you?" 

"You'd have every right to be."

"You really are an idiot," he sighed, holding out his hand for hers. It took her a moment to take it but when she did he wasted no time in tugging her closer and onto his lap where he wrapped his arms around her, even though she sat as stiff as a board. "The only thing I'm pissed off about is that you didn't tell me everything he did to you before now, you only told me that he'd been nasty to you and put you down a lot, I never dreamed it was that bad."

"So you don't hate me for the spell making us fall in love?" 

John snorted. "I'm a Tracy, nothing and no one can make me do anything I don't want to. You've told me before that spells will only work if they are meant to be, correct?"

"That's right, spells shouldn't cause harm, that's why we don't do love spells on specific people, just for us to meet the one for us, because if it's not meant to be then you wouldn't be happy together, you'd be denying someone their soul mate."

"So, by that logic, all the spell did was ensure we met, if it even did anything at all. Besides, I doubt you included the mandate that it force me down the aisle. I didn't fall in love with you because of some spell, I fell in love with you because of you, you are everything I had ever dreamed of and more."

She paused for a second, her panicked brain finally slowing down enough for her to think clearly. Shit, he was right. She slumped in his embrace, sliding her arms around his waist, burying her face in his neck. 

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, I panicked!" 

"You didn't just panic, you thought I wouldn't want to marry you and tried to call off our wedding." When she'd text he'd had visions of her panicking about some silly detail that didn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. 

He'd jogged up the stairs, his calming expression already deployed ready to soothe the savage beast but his heart had leapt into his throat when he saw the fearful expression on her face, the tears shining in her eyes. 

He had thought he was hearing things when she had uttered her first words, feeling sick to his stomach. What had he done wrong? What had happened since they had parted in their bedroom? Everything was going according to plan, nothing was wrong, or at least he hadn't thought it was. 

He'd forced himself to sit down in the chair she had indicated and listened to her, really listened, letting her talk it out, letting her explain everything. 

So many things about her now made perfect sense. He'd known she'd had a bad relationship before they had met, she'd told him so, but she'd never really gone into detail and he'd never pressed her for more information. People were entitled to a past and he hadn't thought that it would ever affect them. 

He remembered the night they had both confessed their feelings for each other, him pale, tired and shaky from his near coma, her stressed and worried for him, and he'd asked her if she had ever done any magic on him before. The fear in her eyes, the way she had been so hesitant to admit it, the way she had immediately begged forgiveness hadn't really registered at the time but now it came back with perfect clarity. 

He recalled how she had reacted the day she had admitted she could see spirits, how she had expected them all to treat her differently, to see her as a freak and turn on her. 

A number of little moments, like how people had judged her and looked at her differently at Penny's ball, how the press had dragged her through the mud, how people online had made nasty comments about her, all of it had taken its toll and now he understood why. 

She had done so much for him, had gone out of her way to make sure he was comfortable with her and with their relationship every time it had deepened to another level, that he'd never really stopped to think if her understanding had come from bitter experience. He'd just thought her empathetic gifts and sympathetic, loving nature had played their part, but now, looking deeper, he could practically see the emotional scars there. 

He glanced at her hair, now the deep plum colour and realised what a big deal it had been for her to change it after his brothers' teasing. Usually that sort of behaviour from them would have been something she'd laugh along with and they knew she had reacted differently than any of them had expected, but now he understood why. 

Now he knew why she kept all old pictures of herself off her social media, why she never compromised in how she wished to dress. He knew now why she was so strong, she'd had to be to survive him. She didn't tone herself down, she was loud and brash and appeared to be so confident in everything she did, but he knew different. 

He'd been the one to teach her to fly her car, had seen how she took everything as a criticism thinking he was calling her stupid and reacting to things he hadn't even said or meant negatively. Now he understood and he wanted nothing more than to scoop her up and hold her tight. She didn't understand just how precious she really was and how honoured he felt that she had changed her mind for him, how she had put aside her views on marriage and ownership because she loved him, because she trusted him not to treat her the same way. 

He remembered the way she had stood up for him with her parents and brother, how she had been firm but insistent that he was one of the good guys. The way her brother had tested him, putting her down to see how he would react, her father's warnings to him, the emphasis he had put on how he was trusting John to look after her, even her mother's reaction to not knowing they were engaged and thinking she was hiding things from her, it all became crystal clear. They had known, they had seen her hurt before, they had picked up the pieces and they didn't want to do it again. 

"I didn't mean to, I just freaked out," she babbled, breaking into his thoughts. "Honestly, I'd forgotten all about the spell with all the drama of the night and then we just kinda fell into us and it was so perfect that I didn't even question it. When Tanzi mentioned it and I remembered I knew I had to tell you. I didn't want there to be any secrets between us and I didn't want to give you any reason to think that I'd ever manipulated you or taken away your control of your own life in any way. I didn't want you to think badly of me."

"I could never think badly of you for something like this. Selene, I firmly believe that if you hadn't almost crashed into an owl-" 

"That owl flew out in front of me, as did that tree."

"If you hadn't crashed we would have met some other way. It would have happened, because we're meant to be together."

"I know we are, I've never doubted that."

"No, you just doubted me."

"No, I didn't, I really didn't, I doubted myself. I know you love me as much as I love you, but it's me, I just kept waiting for something to go wrong."

"Sweetheart, we've been through this," he tucked a finger under her chin, lifting her head so he could steal a quick kiss, tasting the salt from her tears on her lips. "Nothing is going to go wrong, we have everything planned, you are in charge of this part, I've taken care of the reception, this will be the perfect day for us and we will enjoy it."

"You still want to marry me? Even though I'm an idiot?" she asked, her voice still choked with emotion. 

"I want to marry you because you're an idiot."

"Unfair."

"Fair," he countered. "You've always known what to say to make me feel better, you've always known what to do to give me confidence when I didn't have it on my own, now trust me to do the same for you."

"I do trust you, more than I've ever trusted anyone."

"If that's the case, don't you think you should go and finish getting dressed? Because I fully intend to marry you in," he checked his comm-watch, "forty-eight minutes and twenty-six seconds and I'm sure you'd rather not do it in your underwear with liner on just one eye." 

"Oh gods, I must look like shit," she groaned, dropping her head into her hands. "Don't look at me, I'm hideous."

He sighed, gently pulling her hands down to allow him to see her face. "Did I not just say I'm marrying you regardless of how you look or what you're wearing? 

She gave him a tiny nod in answer. 

"I know you said you never wanted to get married, yet when I asked, albeit badly, you said yes straight away. If I asked you again right now, would you still say yes? Do you still want to marry me?" he didn't want to ask that question, but he felt like he had to. 

"Yes," she answered instantly with no hesitation. He didn't quite sigh in relief but it was tempting. 

"See, you didn't need to think about it, so don't start over thinking now, that's my job."

She sniffed out a laugh, wiping her eyes on the corner of her robe. 

"From the moment we met you were nothing but open, honest and you pushed me to be the same. You never wanted anything from me that I wasn't ready or willing to give, you never forced me into anything, you let me make up my own mind at my own pace. All you did was show me with your actions and words what I needed to see clearly. But don't forget that we're partners, Sel, and that means we're equal and share equal parts in this relationship, we share the workload and the burden, it's not all on you. That means that when I have a day where I'm doubting, I know that you'll be right there to pick me up and you know I'll be there when you need the same. This Nathaniel person, he's the one that fucked up, not you, he didn't see what an amazing, beautiful person you are and what a pure soul you possess, he didn't deserve you and I probably don't either, but if your gods saw fit to push us together when you asked then I will never be anything but grateful for that and I'll spend every moment I have with you showing just how thankful I am."

Selene stared at him open mouthed, unable to think of anything to say. How was she supposed to respond to that? How was she supposed to say anything that could match that heartfelt declaration? 

"Come on, up you get," a soft smack landed on her behind before he stood up, tipping her off his lap. "Enough sitting around, I need to get my suit on and you need to cover the girls before Scott comes to fetch you."

A shocked laugh escaped as her spaceman took charge of the situation as he so often did. Maybe she didn't need to say anything at all, maybe, for once, she could let him have the final word. 

She reached up, cupping the back of his head, pulling him down to meet her lips. 

"I love you so much, you know that, right?" 

"I might have had an inklin, yes." There was that grin she loved so much, the cheeky smile that didn't come out often but lit up his face and made her melt every single time. "I love you too."

She kissed him again, smiling when his arms slid around her waist, pulling her in tight against his body. She slid her arms around his middle, her hands naturally falling to rest on his backside. 

"That is not wise," he warned her. "We have a slightly more pressing engagement."

She pouted, flexing her fingers to give his butt a little squeeze. "Not even a little?" 

"Not even the littlest little you can think of."

"I can think of a lot, I'm sure I could come up with something."

"Forever tempting me," he mock sighed, stealing another quick kiss to tide them both over. "We don't have time. You'll just have to keep all those ideas saved up for tonight."

She gave his delectable behind one more squeeze then let go. 

"I suppose I had better get dressed then, since I've got a wedding to get to."

"That might be a good idea," he opened the door. "I'll see you soon."

He shut the door behind him, making sure he was far enough along the hall before he spoke. 

"EOS, find out all you can about any man named Nathaniel with a connection to Selene, go right back into her records, I want to know everything, and I mean, everything."

With an epic scowl on his face he stalked down the hall, intent on finding his oldest brother, he'd want to know all about this too.


	61. It's a nice day for a wedding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse the paragraphing here, it keeps messing up, I've tried to fix it four times and now it's annoyed me so much I'm leaving it.

"We’re here at the beautiful Coworth Park estate awaiting the arrival of the bride at what promises to be one of the most spectacular weddings of the year. We've been denied access to film the ceremony but there is quite a crowd waiting outside to catch a glimpse of International Rescue and their guests as they leave for the reception," Kat Cavanaugh informed her live audience, smiling at the camera. "We had quite a job finding out the location as every effort had been made on the part of International Rescue to maintain the secrecy surrounding this event, but our sources have come through, telling us that the guests are already seated and the ceremony set to start any minute now." 

"Here they come!" a young girl screamed in excitement, her camera phone already up and pointed towards the sleek white limousine as it glided to a stop. 

A suited chauffeur made his way around the front of the car to the back passenger door, his hand on the handle. 

The crowd held their breath as the door was opened and the bride climbed carefully out of the car, mindful of her floor-length white dress making contact with the wet ground. 

"The brides dress is beautiful, a traditionally elegant white number in plain satin," Kat reported, her eyes glued to the scene unfolding in front of them. 

A small girl pushed her way past the bride, a basket of flowers clutched in her hand, far too excited to stay put a moment longer. 

"The flower girl looks darling, her little pink dress just the prettiest thing I've ever seen," Kat continued. 

The bride moved forward, straightening her dress as she walked, allowing her bridesmaid to follow her out of the car, holding up the train of the dress to prevent it dragging on the ground. 

"Pink seems to be their theme colour of choice, the bridesmaid's dress matching that of the flower girl. Oh, here comes the bride's father now." 

"Are you ready, darling?" he asked when he reached her side, offering her his arm. 

"Very much so," she smiled, lifting her head as she pushed an errant chestnut curl back behind her ear. 

"Cut filming!" Kat hissed at her bemused camera man, her eyes wide with shock, "and get O'Neil on the phone, we've been had."

***

Selene couldn't believe she was actually nervous. Not that she was doubting making their marriage legal or anything like that. Never had that thought crossed her mind, but she'd be lying if she said she wasn't a little worried about the ceremony and people's reaction to it. It wasn't a standard wedding as they knew it but she liked to think she'd helped to plan something beautiful with Tanzi and Jeff. 

"Stop being so ridiculous, Sel," she scolded herself. "It'll be perfect, you've planned it down to the last detail, it's exactly how you want it and if people don't like it, tough."

She took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds then let it out again slowly in a bid to calm her racing heart and negative thoughts. 

Even though she had been expecting it she still jumped when Scott knocked on the open bedroom door, the sharp sound jolting her out of her musings. 

"One second," she promised as she took one last look in the mirror, checking that she still looked passable and everything was where it should be. 

Her eyes were now even, having finished them after her brief meltdown and Penelope had done a lovely job on her hair, sweeping it back off her face and gathering it at the back of her head in an elegant French twist which glittered with tiny diamonds that matched her dress. A simple flower crown of midnight blue and white roses completed the look. 

"Stop fussing, you look great," Scott soothed from his spot in the doorway.

"You have to say that, you're my best man."

"Like I'd ever spare your feelings." 

"That is very true," she admitted, putting down the powder brush after giving her face one last dusting for luck. 

“Are you ready to go now?”

“Yes, I think so. How do I look?” she asked as she stood up, her dress falling to skim her bare ankles. She lifted her arms, offering herself up for inspection. 

“Almost perfect.”

“Almost? Cheeky shit. 

“You forgot something important.”

“I did? What?” Selene yelped, running through her mental checklist one more time but finding nothing amiss. Tanzi had set up the circle outside and arranged the altar, the boys and Jeff had all taken care of their own outfits, as had Penny and Kayo, so hopefully no one was having a sudden clothing crisis that she didn't know about. 

Ruffled feathers had been soothed the day before when they had announced that they would not be travelling to England as planned but staying right there for the ceremony and travelling after, rendering the carefully planned wedding as redundant.

Alan had the rings, surely that was everything? What else was there to do? 

“This,” Scott grinned, whipping the dreaded family heirloom out from where it had been hidden behind his back. 

“Oh, you are joking! You aren't serious?”

“Dare’s a dare, Sel.”

“Fuck!"

"Language, it's your wedding day, you're supposed to be all demur and virginal."

"With a dickhead friend like you around making my life hell?" 

"That hurts, you've hurt me right here," Scott gestured to his chest with his free hand. 

Selene groaned in defeat. "Fine! But if they laugh I'm blaming you." Bending down to look in the mirror she carefully unpinned her flower crown. 

"It'll look great."

"I thought best friends weren't supposed to lie to each other?" she groused as she dipped her head, allowing him to carefully place the distinctive pointed blue hat with its lilac trim on her head. 

"There!" 

"I hate you." 

“No you don’t, you love me," still grinning, Scott reached into his pocket and pulled out a flat rectangular box. "Now, don't get all soppy on me, but I saw this when we were shopping with Grandma and I knew you'd love it, so I got it for you as your something new."

He opened the box to reveal a tiny silver witches broom on a delicate chain. 

"Oh, oh my gods, that's perfect. I don't know what to say…"

"Don't start leaking, you'll ruin your makeup and your eyes are actually even today." He plucked the necklace carefully from its padding and tossed the box carelessly on the bed. "Turn round."

She did as she was told, allowing him to loop the chain around her neck and fix it in place. 

"Thank you," she whispered, tears clogging her throat as she struggled hard not to cry. 

"It's just a necklace, but you're welcome."

"I don't just mean the necklace, I mean for everything."

Scott didn't say anything, knowing if he did it would tip her over the edge and she'd have a full blown melt down. Instead he simply offered her his arm.

“Ready to become a permanent member of the family?”

“Not with this thing on my head,” she bitched, trying to pull herself together as she slipped her arm through his.

"The hat is part of the family, therefore, you wear it."

“Guess we had better get moving then if I have no choice in the matter.”

"That's the Tracy spirit!" 

Together they made their way down through the house and the kitchen and out past the pool, following the little winding path down to the beach where hopefully the rest of the family would already be gathered including her, soon to be legal, husband. 

They rounded the corner of the path and stepped out onto the beach where Selene immediately kicked off her shoes, bending down to pick them up. OK, so carrying your shoes on your wedding day wasn't the most elegant way to do things but barefoot was standard practice to her and she wasn't about to change the witchy habit of a lifetime. 

"Oh my gods, Tanzi has made it look so pretty," Selene gasped when she saw the simple but effective ceremonial circle that had been erected. 

Tanzi had spread out a lilac runner to act as the aisle and someone -probably Virgil after everyone had been given their list of jobs to do yesterday morning- had hammered large wooden posts into the sand to both mark the walkway and act as decorations. 

They had also erected a frame that had been draped with gauze curtains that fluttered in the breeze, matching ribbons of material blew softly from the tops of the poles, crowned with spidery greenery, made to look like palm trees, the aisle feeling like a miniature version of Thunderbird Two's runway. 

A circle of cloth covered chairs completed the simple but effective staging for their intimate little ceremony.

It had been a lot of work to put it all together and when John had suggested it she had been extremely skeptical, but she had promised to trust him and, as always, he hadn't let her down.

Their plan had been simple, let the parents plan the wedding their way, don't get involved to eliminate stress, while planning their own version exactly how they wanted it. It had been hard to organise without giving anything away with regards to their plans but they had managed it. 

John had taken care of the reception, Selene actually had no idea what he had planned at all, and Selene had arranged the ceremony. All John knew about it was the wording which they had shared with Jeff, although even he hadn't been aware of the location change. John had anonymously contacted a make a wish charity and donated the arranged wedding to a couple who needed it, not wanting it to go to waste.

"I can't believe you two pulled this off," Scott laughed, shaking his head. "You know you'll never hear the last of this from Grandma, don't you?" 

"Yeah," Selene grinned. “But I don’t care about any of that right now because…” she trailed off, unable to continue forming words or even a coherent thought as Virgil moved aside and she caught a glimpse of John as he stood waiting patiently for her to arrive. He’d managed to pick a suit that was a almost perfect match for her dress and looked so incredibly handsome that she actually stopped breathing, holding onto the breath that caught in her throat, her lungs paralysed even though her heart was fluttering in her chest like a butterfly in a hand. How could he be real? How could he be so amazingly perfect and all hers? 

“Pinch me,” she whispered to Scott, eyes wide, unable to look away.

“I think we’re supposed to start walking down the aisle soon,” Scott whispered back, ignoring her request, and she nodded eagerly, his words bringing her back to the present.

“No second thoughts?” he joked.

“Not a single one. Let’s move, Tracy, you’re supposed to be the fast one.”

Scott laughed, shaking his head as she practically dragged him to the start of the walkway, waiting for her cue. 

Selene, trying to be considerate of John, had suggested they only have a special song for the ceremony but he had put his foot down, insisting that they would also have a first dance. 

She'd been surprised at that, he usually hated being the center of attention but, as he'd calmly stated, it was his wedding, it'd be that way whether he liked it or not so he might as well do it on his terms. He asked to pick the song, and of course she had agreed. She had no idea what he had chosen but she trusted him enough to let it happen, just as he had trusted her to pick this one. 

She'd thought long and hard about it, as she was sure he had too, and had finally settled on one that had come up on her playlist the night of their first date. She could picture it as clearly as if it were yesterday. Lying side by side on her roof, the music playing softly from her phone providing a background to their conversation as he told her more about his life and his job amongst the stars. 

It always reminded her of him, floating high above the earth, ever vigilant, watchful, a protector that many never thought of when talking of International Rescue but an integral part without which they couldn't operate. 

That was what a partner should do, wasn't it? Make you feel safe and protected, like you were the most important thing in their world and he'd never failed to do that. Even though it was hard when they were apart for long periods of time, she always knew that he would be there if she ever needed him, he was always watching over her, her sanctuary in the dark times. 

Scott pressed a button on his watch and almost immediately the opening bars of the song drifted out over the beach, announcing their presence. Everyone stopped chatting amongst themselves and turned to look at them. It took them a second to realise exactly what they were seeing but then, as one, they all began to laugh.

“I told you they would laugh!” Selene accused, smacking his shoulder as the song made its way into the second verse and they began to walk. 

“They love it, it’s perfect,” he soothed. “They’re laughing with you, not at you.”

“So you say, but if he turns around and runs in the opposite direction you’re the one that's gonna have to chase him down and drag him back kicking and screaming.”

They continued their slow, measured steps as the music crested and exploded into the chorus, even though she badly wanted to pick up her dress and run the rest of the way. 

She felt like she had been waiting forever for this moment and although she didn’t really care about the legal side of things, she wanted so badly to call him her husband out loud rather than just in her head. She wouldn’t change their impromptu handfast for the world, but keeping it a secret had been hard and at times frustrating, especially when things had gotten tense with wedding planning. Now it was almost over and they could finally, finally be official.

“We’re here,” Scott told her, rather unnecessarily Selene thought. They reached the open edge of the circle made up of chairs on which sat their combined family as the song entered its last verse, their timing almost perfect. 

“Thank you for the escort,” she grinned, dropping her shoes and pulling him in for a hug, smacking a kiss to his cheek. “Love you, dickhead.”

“Love you too, bitchface,” Scott retorted, squeezing her tight, both of them unable to help the laughter that bubbled up. Selene wished with all her heart that her dad had been there with her but if she couldn’t have him then Scott was a perfect alternative. 

He’d done his job well, keeping her calm and focused when she could have easily gone to pieces, he was her rock in so many ways, one of her ports in every storm, a safe place and she couldn't think of anyone she would rather have at her side.

A pointed clearing of a throat made them break apart as Selene spun round to face the love of her life. She waited through the last chorus, mouthing silently along to the words, unable to keep the smile off her face, seeing it echoed on his. 

“Hey, gorgeous,” she greeted as the music faded out leaving them standing in silence. 

John lifted a disbelieving eyebrow, unable to stop staring at her hat. “That’s a little different to what I was expecting.”

“Not my idea, but it's apparently multi purpose. It's my something old, borrowed and blue. I kinda like it, it’s growing on me,” she reached up to awkwardly pat the hat, readjusting it back to its jaunty angle. 

Shaking his head in bemusement John held out his hand.

“Oh, yes, of course,” Scott jumped forward again, remembering his part of the proceedings and took Selene’s hand in his before placing it carefully in his brother’s. “Wife delivery.”

John smiled at his brother’s choice of words, remembering the time at Penelope’s ball when she had just been his date, now she was so close to being his for life. Just as he had then he lifted her arm higher, encouraging her to spin in a slow circle for his inspection. If he had thought she looked beautiful in her gothic dress it was nothing compared to how she was now. Her strapless gown was a perfect midnight blue that matched his suit, the skirt dotted here and there with little shimmering crystals like the night sky. The crystals continued up her bodice in delicate rows, emphasising her slender waist just as her corsets did, drawing his eyes and making it hard to look at anything else. Grandma had done absolute wonders with making it and he made a mental note to buy her the biggest bunch of flowers he could to show his gratitude. 

“Once again, sending Scott was the sensible choice,” he gulped, managing to tear his eyes away before he said something inappropriate for family hearing.

“Are you both ready to start?” Jeff asked from his spot beside the altar, flanked on the other side by Tanzi. Jeff looked immaculately turned out in his simple light grey suit that complimented the silvery tone of his hair and the blue of his eyes. Tanzi was wearing her priestess robes over a simple purple evening dress, her black hair gathered up on her hair in a messy bun which she would no doubt let down later. Long hair and candle flames did not mix.

John and Selene both nodded in answer to his question, turning to face front although John kept hold of her hand, half worried that if he let her go she would vanish. He knew that she had counted them as married for a year now, but that was her way and, much as he respected her beliefs, which aligned very much with his own ethos and morals, he wanted a commitment that was binding and legally recognised. He dealt in facts, in things he could see, touch and feel, and while a spiritual binding was wonderful he needed a physical representation too.

Jeff cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the murmuring guests who went silent, fixing their eyes forwards. 

“I would like to take this moment, family, friends and loved ones, to thank you all on behalf of my son, John, and Selene. Thank you all for being here with them so early in the morning."

A few people grumbled goodnaturedly at his reference to the fact that they were sitting on the beach in the early morning dawn, watching the sun as it slowly rose over the horizon. Some of them, mostly the girls, had woken up almost three hours before to start getting ready and help Selene and it was now just past 6:30am. 

"You have come here to share in both this formal and spiritual commitment they make to one another, to offer your love and support to this union, and to allow them to start their married life together surrounded by the people dearest and most important to them. So welcome to one and all, who have traveled from near and far."

Selene turned her head to sweep her gaze over their loved ones seated around them, smiling at each in turn before turning her attention back to Jeff. She’d been so focused on John that she had momentarily forgotten that anyone else was there. Her mother, Celia, was sitting between Grandma and her brother, Adam. Virgil was next to him, his camera already in his hands. Brains was next, then Alan, Gordon, EOS's portable drive balanced on his lap, her lights flickering gently as she listened in, Penny, Kayo and lastly Scott, who was staying close by, waiting to be needed again and Tanzi’s partner, Nikos. 

Tanzi stepped forward to take over from Jeff and issue her own greeting. Selene held her breath, knowing exactly what was about to be said and knowing there would be hell to pay after.

“Merry meet, friends, family, loved ones. We are all here today to see two people, John and Selene, join hands once again to be bound together by their love, now and forever, in this life and the next, a year and a day after their first. As is often our custom, the first handfast, acting as either a betrothal or in their case, a marriage, lasts for only a year and a day, with the couple living together as man and wife. After such time they can either choose to renew their vows and make their union permanent or, in the case of incompatibility, to dissolve it and move on. John and Selene have, of course, chosen to renew and continue their union.”

Shocked, confused whispering broke out and John squeezed her hand in silent support when he felt her tense up beside him. 

“What did she say?”

“Again?”

“What is she talking about? They aren’t married, are they?”

“Well, it’s not like they tell us anything, is it? They kept this whole thing a secret and let us continue planning a wedding they had no intention of using.”

“Before we began the ceremony,” Tanzi continued as if no one had spoken, “I turned this circle into sacred ground, a place between worlds, where magic and energy is key, but now I ask that you focus all your energy, love and positivity on their union as we begin.” She turned to look at Alan, smiling encouragingly.

“Can you please bring forward the rings?” she held out a wooden bowl, carved inside with a sideways figure eight, the symbol of infinity.

Alan jumped up, fumbling in his suit pocket for the little bag that contained the rings. He tipped them out into his hand and placed them carefully in the bowl.

“Thank you,” Tanzi said, holding the bowl out in front of her. “A circle itself is an infinite thing. It is magical and never-ending, never changing and yet always adaptable, a ring with no beginning and no conclusion. Like the circle, true love itself is infinite. It goes on, knowing no boundaries or restrictions. It flourishes and blooms in the light and in the dark, laying down no ultimatums, making no demands at all. Love, in its infinite form, is something that cannot be forced. It cannot be taken away. It is a gift we give to ourselves, and an honor we give to others from the bottom of our hearts and souls.”

She stepped back, still holding the bowl, allowing Jeff to take her place, a dance they would no doubt be doing a lot as they attempted to blend one ceremony with another, pagan with legal.

“Any of us who have been fortunate enough to find and express the kind of loving devotion that we are celebrating here today knows that it is a wonderful thing. That being said I would like to offer you both some words of wisdom, ” Jeff began, pausing when someone groaned softly, making him laugh. 

“I promise I won’t go on too long or embarrass any of you more than I have to," he assured them all. "Firstly, you should be constantly grateful for this precious person who has chosen to make a life with you. Secondly, be generous with your compliments as well as attentive and helpful. The world can be a tough place and kind words, along with thoughtful actions will make your marriage and your home an uplifting refuge for not just yourselves but your family and friends. A happy home, full of love and laughter is essential. And thirdly, make truth the unfailing bedrock of your lives together. A happy, loving marriage is built on trust and respect. That trust and respect can only be sustained if you are both deeply committed to always being open and truthful in every exchange no matter how small.”

Selene’s mother and Grandma both nodded, each having their own years of experience to look back on fondly, as did Nikos, who shared a small, private smile with Tanzi.

“It is my hope that you have many long years to delight in each other’s company, to make a home together that is at once sheltering, warm and welcoming, just as you two are,” Jeff concluded.

“When two people come together and give one another this gift, this most sacred gift of all, it is certain the universe is sitting back and smiling upon us, laughing and showering us with every possible blessing,” Tanzi said, taking up the ceremonial reigns perfectly, just as she and Jeff had rehearsed.

“John and Selene are two people who are two halves of a whole. Twin souls, coming together to form one single being; two hearts, beating in a single rhythm. They are together as one, and so they will now light a candle of unity, to show the universe that they indeed are one light burning brightly in the darkness.”

Tanzi gestured to the altar where three candles sat. Two were already lit, one gold and one silver, standing in matching star shaped holders, and between them a larger, unlit candle in midnight blue, into which their names and the date was carved.

Selene picked up the silver candle and John the gold and together they held the flames to the blue candle until it sparked into life. After waiting a moment to make sure it stayed alight, there was no worse portent than a spluttering unity candle, they put down their individual candles and stepped back into place.

“I know this is all a bit strange,” Selene heard her mother whisper to Grandma, “but please don’t let that put you off her, she’s really not that bad.”

“Ma!” Adam admonished. "I'm sure they know her well enough by now."

“Today, here in this place of natural beauty where the elements surround us, we ask that the infinite light of the divine shine upon this union,” Tanzi plowed on, ignoring the chatter going on to the left of her. “In that spirit, I offer a blessing to this ceremony.”

“Blessed be this marriage with the gifts from the East,” she turned slowly to face the direction of the rising sun, lifting the bowl containing the rings into the air in greeting, “the element of Air, may it bring new beginnings that come each day with the rising sun and communication of the heart, mind, body and soul.

“Blessed be this marriage with the gifts of the South,” she intoned, turning to face the south,”the element of Fire to be the light of the heart, the heat of passion, and the warmth of a loving home.

Turning to face west she continued. “Blessed be this marriage with the gifts of the West, the element of Water, to bring with it the rushing excitement of a raging river, the soft and pure cleansing of a rainstorm, and a commitment as deep as the ocean itself.”

“Blessed be this marriage with the gifts of the North, the element of Earth to provide a solid foundation on which to build your lives, abundance and growth of your home, and the stability to be found by holding one another at the end of the day,” Tanzi finished turning back to the north where John and Selene stood.

“These four simple blessings will help you on your journey that continues today. However, they are only tools, ones which you must use together to create the light, the strength, the infinite energy now and forever of a love you both so richly deserve.”

Tanzi handed the bowl to Jeff who took it carefully, cupping it lightly in his big hands, moving to stand before John and Selene. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath, knowing he was about to speak one of the most important parts of the ceremony. 

“John, can you repeat after me: Selene, with all my love, I take you to be my wife. I will love you through good and bad, through joy and sorrow.”

John nodded, looking from his dad to the woman in front of him. He was sure he should be feeling nervous like most men did, he hated being the center of attention, but in this he had no such worries. Selene was there, holding tight to his hand, her calm, accepting strength as comforting as ever. 

“Selene, with all my love, I take you to be my wife. I will love you through good and bad, through joy and sorrow,” his words carried with perfect clarity, strong and sure, he’d never been more sure of anything in his life.

“I will try to be understanding, and to trust in you completely. Together we will face all of life's experiences and share one another's dreams and goals. I promise I will be your equal partner in a loving, honest relationship, for as long as we both shall live,” Jeff finished allowing John to follow.

“I will try to be understanding, and to trust in you completely. Together we will face all of life's experiences and share one another's dreams and goals. I promise I will be your equal partner in a loving, honest relationship, for as long as we both shall live.”

Selene smiled as he echoed his father's words back to her, and when it was her turn to do the same he returned her smile, listening carefully as she made the same promises he had. 

“Now, we bid you look into one another’s eyes and hearts. John, please place the ring on Selene’s finger,” Tanzi instructed. “Will you promise to show Selene your honor and fidelity, to share her laughter and joy, to support and stand by her in times of difficulty, to dream and hope together with her, and to spend each day loving her more than the day before?”

John reached into the bowl that his dad held and selected the smaller of the silver rings inside and slid it gently onto Selene’s waiting finger. “I will,” he promised, his thumb rubbing lightly over the cool metal, feeling the little bumps and divots that dotted its surface, designed to look like the craters of the moon.

“Selene, please place the ring on John’s finger," Tanzi directed. "Will you promise to show John your honor and fidelity, to share his laughter and joy, to support and stand by him in times of difficulty, to dream and hope together with him, and to spend each day loving him more than the day before?”

Selene wasted no time in scooping out the remaining ring and sliding it onto the finger John held out to her. “I will, every single day.”

“Please hold out your hands,” Tanzi instructed as she picked up a small lancet and with scarily quick efficiency, pricked the end of each of their ring fingers, stepping aside to allow them to squeeze a small drop of blood into the waiting chalice which contained a small quantity of red wine.

Jeff picked up the chalice and handed it to John who took a sip before passing it to Selene who did the same. Jeff took it back and returned it to the altar.

“You are bound by the sharing of your life's blood and will now be bound by the hands by family blood. Mr Tracy, will you please fetch the cord?”

Selene couldn’t hold in her giggle at the look on Jeff’s face when he picked up the coiled material that waited on the altar.

“Is that what I think it is?” Virgil whispered to Gordon who grinned as he shrugged in answer.

“Whatever is that?” Celia asked a little too loudly.

“That would be John’s ugly dressing gown belt,” Alan told her. “I have no idea why.”

“Well, this is certainly the most unique cord I’ve ever seen,” Tanzi laughed as she gestured to the sandy ground. “Please kneel.”

With Tanzi’s help Selene and John knelt and joined hands. John held his out straight while Selene crossed hers at the wrist, her left hand in his at the bottom and their right hands on top of their left, forming a figure of eight, signifying their promise of infinity. Once they had been arranged Jeff placed his hands on top of theirs.

“These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow, and forever. These are the hands that will work alongside yours, as together you build your future,” Jeff intoned with complete confidence, having spent many hours memorising the words to the previously unknown ceremony.

“These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch, will comfort you like no other. These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief fills your mind. These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes; tears of sorrow, and as in today, tears of joy. These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it. And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged, will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.”

“This is actually really beautiful,” Kayo whispered to Scott, who nodded his agreement. No one had really known what to expect from a pagan wedding, having never experienced such a thing before and he had to admit, he’d had visions of hundreds of black clad figures all waving wands and shouting words, but this was something completely different. It was tender and loving, the words making complete sense, especially in regards to the relationship between his brother and his best friend, they complimented each other perfectly and the ceremony worked so well with that.

“Selene, will you please now speak from your heart?” Tanzi requested, putting her on the spot.

“I had so much I wanted to say but nothing feels good enough anymore and I've forgotten all the pretty words I had planned,” Selene laughed nervously, taking a slightly shaky breath to calm down, her mind running at a million miles a minute. 

She’d had her words carefully chosen, had spent so long rewriting them over and over until they were completely perfect. But all that had changed the moment she had realised that not only was John the love of her life, but her soul mate too. Now everything she had written paled into insignificance. Everyone around them was silent, waiting to hear what she would say and she knew she had to get on with it. 

She closed her eyes briefly, just breathing, feeling the comforting presence of his hands in hers, their warm strength, hands that she loved, that had touched her and she had touched in return. He wouldn’t care what she said, how little or how much, he wouldn't judge, he’d just continue to love her as much as he did now. Feeling a surge of strength she opened her eyes to meet John's, staring deep into the turquoise depths that she knew so well, seeing the love and acceptance that she knew would be there, it always was. He smiled softly, just for her and she stopped thinking, stopped worrying, she didn’t plan, she just let the words flow. 

"All I know is that I thank the Gods every day for giving you to me and you for bringing my heart back to life. You've taught me that it's OK to be myself and to put my trust in someone else, that it's OK to love with my whole heart and I do, I love you more than I ever thought possible, like I didn't think my heart could physically love someone as much, it should have burst by now. I'm rambling, I'm sorry, this wasn't supposed to happen, imagine me, not actually knowing what to say, bet no one ever thought they would see this day."

A rumble of laughter rolled through those that were seated around them but she paid them no attention, keeping her focus on John who squeezed her hands in silent support. 

"I want to thank you," she continued. "Thank you for being you, for rescuing me in more ways than you can ever imagine and for taking a chance on me, for loving me even when I probably didn't deserve it because, in case you missed the memo, I can be a bit of a bitch sometimes," she paused, realising what she had just said. If she could have slapped her hand over her mouth she would have. 

"Shit! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to swear during our wedding, twice, I swore twice! I'm so sorry, I'm just going to shut up now...why are you laughing at me, stop that!" she paused again as she felt John's hands trembling in hers, his shoulders shaking in silent laughter, biting his lip so he wouldn't laugh out loud while the others did so openly. But, she supposed, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing, their relationship had always been one of laughter and fun, of love and joy that made the bad times just a little more bearable, still she figured she had better hurry up and finish before she said anything else she would regret. 

"I promise to tell you that I love you every day, I promise to share my life with you, good and bad. I promise to laugh with you, to cry with you and to support you. Your problems are my problems, your sadness is my sadness but so is your joy my joy, your happiness intrinsically linked to mine, because no matter what happens in your life, I'll be there with you."

Everyone waited to see if she would continue, watching her, their eyes sparkling with merriment. 

"That's it, I'm done."

"Well," Tanzi laughed, "that was certainly unique but then I'm sure we never expected anything else from you. John, will you please now speak from your heart?"

John had his words planned and was more than ready to speak them, though they wouldn't be anywhere near as entertaining as Selene's. She did everything with boundless energy and unrestrained honesty and whatever else she had planned to say would never have been as special, impulsive and uniquely her as the words she had just spoken to him. All she had done was reinforce that which he was about to say. He took a moment to sober up and catch his breath, still laughing too much to speak, but needing her to know that he was completely serious in what he was about to say. 

Her eyes were locked on his, eyes that he'd fallen in love with the moment he'd seen them, shining like a beacon in the dark of the forest, wide and filled with fear as she hung upside down from a stupid tree the night that she had cast a spell. She'd needed him, had put her utter trust in a stranger she'd never met but had trusted her life to him. She'd been fascinating to him, had wrapped her arms around him and clung to him like he was the most important thing in the world. She'd whispered words that had sounded utterly fantastical to his logical mind but had also made complete sense. She herself had made sense to him and often she seemed to be the only thing that did.

"I never thought I'd have someone like you in my life," he paused when Selene let out an amused, but apologetic, snort, "but now that I have you I'm never letting you go. I promise to look into your eyes just like I am now, with love and utter amazement that I was lucky enough to find you, however it happened."

Selene couldn't help but smile, knowing he was referring to her earlier worries in regards to the spell that had brought them together. She knew he didn't blame her in any way, shape or form and honestly she should have known that without asking. But old habits die hard and she'd needed that honestly, that confirmation that he knew they were meant to be as much as she did and that he would never hold it against her. 

"I promise to be the man that I see now reflected in your eyes, today, tomorrow, and always. I promise to be there to catch you if you should stumble, carry you over every obstacle and fall in love with you every day and I will carry your love with me to give me hope, give me joy, and make me a better man," he finished, nodding at Tanzi to let her know he was done. 

“The couple will now repeat their original words, having chosen to extend their marriage on this a year and a day, taking our most permanent of vows,” Tanzi continued as she gestured for Scott to join them. 

“Why does she keep saying extended?” Gordon whispered to Virgil, who shrugged, he had no clue either.

“Are we missing something?” Grandma asked Celia.

“Probably,” Celia sniffed. “I have no idea what’s going on.”

“You cannot possess me, for I belong to myself, but as we both wish it, for this life and the next, I give you what is mine to give,” Selene started, ignoring the comments from the peanut gallery. “You cannot command me, for I am a free person, but I am also yours.”

“You cannot possess me, for I belong to myself, but as we both wish it, for this life and the next, I give you what is mine to give. You cannot command me, for I am a free person, but I am also yours,” John repeated after her, he hadn’t said them the first time but they had both agreed that it would be nicer for them to share the vow this time around. 

Scott, at Tanzi's nod, moved to take the dressing gown belt from her and carefully wrapped it once around their joined hands, starting the binding, leaving one end dangling down. Once that was done he returned to his seat, allowing Alan to take his place.

"I pledge my vow on bended knees that it will be your eyes into which I smile every morning, I pledge to you my living and my dying, each equally in your care. I shall be a shield for your back as you will be for mine, in this life and the next," Selene and John said together, their timing a little off but the intention clear.

Alan, a little hesitantly, sure that he was going to do it wrong, took hold of the dangling belt end and wrapped it around their hands again, going from left to right where Scott had gone from right to left. As soon as it was done he made his escape, swapping places with Adam who had been chosen to represent Selene’s blood family.

"Our destinies are aligned, we shall walk our path together in both sunshine and rain. We will celebrate the joy that true love brings, we will face adversity together and find strength in this union, for we know that we are blessed in this life and the next," they continued, still speaking together.

“I give you my love, my time, attention, trust, honesty and devotion. I promise to always be true to you,” Selene promised and John repeated it after her.

“One more wrap of the belt, Adam,” Tanzi instructed and he did as he was bid, bringing the end up between Selene’s wrists and over both hands to tuck down between John’s and down to meet the dangling end Scott had left. It was a bit of a struggle and he had to kneel down beside John to see what he was doing but he eventually managed to tie the ends in a very small, stubby knot.

“Perfect,” Tanzi praised as he got to his feet and shuffled off back to his seat, pleased that he wouldn’t be required to do anything else.

“Selene, will you now ask your question?”

Selene nodded and spoke the words she had first asked a year and a day before. The setting was so very different, they were on a beach and not in space, they were relaxed and surrounded by friends and family rather than scared and feeling helpless when faced with the most important mission International Rescue would ever go on, but she was no less sure that it was the right thing to do.

“I love you, and to you I offer my sacred vow, to honour and love you in this life and the next. Do you accept my vow?”

“I do,” John answered with complete surety.

“Finally a part I know,” Celia grumbled to Adam, who shot her a warning look. He knew that their parents had never understood Selene and her beliefs but that didn't mean their mother shouldn’t accept her just as she was. 

He’d noticed that their mother had grown more sharp tongued and judgemental since their father had passed away. It seemed that without the stabilizing and calming influence of Rufus to keep her in line, to talk her down before smaller issues became a bigger thing in her head and to act as her sounding board, allowing her to think things through before they blew up into big problems, she had lost a lot of her tolerance. 

He knew she didn’t mean it, as did Selene, but it still didn’t help when it came to times like this. Celia tended to see things she didn’t understand as something negative and that coloured her views of them, and this was something really alien to her. She hadn’t taken the time to talk to Selene about the form in which the ceremony would take, even though it would have been the same wherever it had been held, she was just focusing on the fact that things had not gone according to her and Grandma’s careful planning and seemed to be taking that as a personal insult. He’d have to keep a closer eye on her for the rest of the day, he wouldn't allow her to say anything that might upset his sister on her and John's special day. 

“John, will you now ask your question of Selene?”

“I love you, and to you I offer my sacred vow, to honour and love you in this life and the next. Do you accept my vow?” he asked, not hesitating for a second. 

“I so do,” Selene answered, making a few people chuckle at her eagre response.

“Mr Tracy,” Tanzi smiled. “Will you please do the honours?” 

Jeff, who had been standing quietly aside throughout the binding, moved to take Tanzi’s place. Everything he’d done in the last month had been leading up to this moment, the online ordination, video calls with Tanzi, the long nights spent memorizing the ceremony and his words, hours in front of his bedroom mirror practicing to make sure he had everything down perfectly in his head, all so that could say his last line. 

Now that the moment had come he felt the need to take a second to just breathe, to remind himself that it was real, that he was there with his family, seeing one of his boys get married. During his lonely years stuck in the Oort cloud he had imagined this kind of scenario a million times, trying to picture how his sons lives were moving on without him, dwelling on all the things he was missing but unable to do a thing about it. 

He was the only one, apart from Tanzi, that knew they had handfasted before, but it had warmed his heart and also been incredibly humbling to learn that John and Selene had wanted to wait to do anything legal, wanting to include him in their ceremony. They had had faith that they would find him and bring him home to share in their moment and it had been that knowledge that had kept him going through months of rehab, through the days when his body screamed in protest and he’d wanted nothing more than to curl up in his bed and never move again. Everything had been moving towards moments like these, family milestones that hadn't wanted to miss and now would never have to again. 

He swept his gaze over his family, taking in each of his boys in turn, sharing a smile with his mother who had kept his family whole even when he hadn’t been an active part in it, before coming to rest on his middle son. John had always been the sensitive one, the one with his head in the stars and his heart on his sleeve, the one so easily hurt and manipulated through no fault of his own. All his boys deserved someone special, someone that would see deep into their souls and love them unconditionally and John had found someone who did just that. His son was looking up at him, waiting patiently, giving him all the time he needed. He took a deep breath, let it out slowly and said his final words.

“It is now my honor and delight to declare you husband and wife. You may seal your vows with a kiss.”

“Thanks, Dad,” John said softly, his simple sentence conveying his emotions more effectively than a thousand pretty words ever could. 

“She’s waiting, Son,” Jeff reminded him, squeezing his shoulder with a hand that felt so solid and warm. 

“So is everyone else,” Grandma called out, making everyone laugh, breaking through the wave of emotions that threatened to drown them. 

“Demanding family you have there,” Selene teased.

“Not like you can escape them now,” John retorted, tugging on their joined hands to reel her in. She went willingly, her lips right there to meet his, feeling just as soft and welcoming as they had an hour ago. Their kiss was chaste compared to what they really wanted as they were conscious of the fact they had an audience, contenting themselves with a gentle brush of their lips before they broke apart to the sound of happy clapping from their guests.

“Here, let me get that off you,” Tanzi offered, carefully unwinding the belt from their hands and folding it neatly to give back to them later.

John got carefully to his feet, his legs feeling rather stiff from kneeling for so long, and reached out a hand to help Selene up, mindful of the length of her dress, it wouldn't do to have his new wife fall flat on her face. 

Unbidden a happy smile erupted as he mentally replayed his last thought, his new wife, his wife, it almost didn’t feel real and even though he knew that nothing would really change between them, it still felt like something momentous had taken place right there on their little beach.

“Now for the besom,” Tanzi picked up a traditional broom that had been decorated with ribbons wound around the handle and flowers threaded into the bristles.

“There’s an actual broom?” Celia asked, making a fair few guests chuckle to themselves, knowing exactly how the two had met.

Using the broom, Tanzi swept a short path in the sand in front of the couple. “This action is symbolic, representing the clearing away of the old to make way for the new, the banishing of negative influences and old partners, leaving just the two of you,” she informed them, more for the guests' benefit than Selene and John’s. “Now I’ll ask the best man and maid of honour to please hold the broom at calf height.”

Penelope took the handle while Alan caught hold of the bristles as best he could, both of them bending to hold the broom at the required height.

“John and Selene will now jump over the besom to symbolise the shedding of their single life and the entering of their new life together as partners, both equal and valid.”

Selene took a moment to awkwardly gather up the folds of her skirt, bunching them up into her right hand, allowing John to take hold of her left.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Damn straight.”

Together they jumped over the broom as best they could, landing with a soft thump on the sand.

“I declare this circle to be open, yet unbroken, may the Gods smile upon you and your union. Blessed be!”

“Blessed be,” Selene and John echoed, the pagan version of a christian Amen.

“Oh my gods, we did it!” Selene squealed happily, dropping her skirts to launch herself at her now officially legal husband, looping her arms around his neck as his banded around her waist, lifting her off her feet, the ridiculous hat falling off her head and landing with a plop on the sand. 

“Damn this skirt!” she bitched as she kicked feebly, wishing very much to wrap her legs around his waist instead of dangling like an idiot with her toes brushing the ground. “You’re stuck with me forever now. Any regrets?”

“None whatsoever,” he grinned, taking the opportunity to steal another kiss, this one deeper with just a tiny, apparently accidental on her part, slip of tongue.

“Hold on, you two,” Jeff laughed, making them break apart. “Let’s get this paperwork signed before we do anything else,” he held out his tablet with the document that needed to be signed and sent off to have them legally registered as married. John signed first, scrawling his name with the stylus in his usual efficient way and adding his thumb print after, then Selene who took her time, her signature being more of the elaborate variety then his, touching her thumb to the screen when she was done. Scott and Adam acted as witnesses, adding their signatures and prints to the screen before Jeff hit send.

“I hope you appreciate the sacrifice I just made for you,” Adam informed his sister as he hugged her. “I’ve gone five years without imprinting on anything and now my mark is out there in the world again, after ten years the government updates their files and I could have been out of the system. I’ve been flying under the radar, man, and now I’ve got to start all over again, they got spies everywhere.”

“I very much appreciate your sacrifice,” Selene promised him, trying but failing to keep her tone serious.

"Is that it for now? You don't need me to give a DNA sample or anything?" 

"Nope, that's it. We're done," Selene laughed. "I'm officially married and everything."

"In that case," Virgil called, overhearing. "To the Thunderbird!" 

"Wait up!" Scott yelled, halting them as they went to leave the circle. "You forgot something."

Selene spun round just as Scott crowned her with a slam dunk, the pointy hat of her nightmares thumping down on her head. "There, perfect."

"I hate you."

"Tough," he laughed. "You're legally ours now, you're stuck with us and there isn't a thing you can do about it."

"John?" 

"Yes?" he called back over his shoulder from where he'd be talking to Grandma. 

"Can we get a divorce yet?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> John and Selene's wedding song:
> 
> Silent Lucidity by Queensryche
> 
> https://youtu.be/jhat-xUQ6dw


	62. Party Like You're Pagan

Two's engines rumbled steadily below them as they sat in the rather uncomfortable passenger transport seats in module three, surrounded by luggage and random pod configuration pieces. 

Most of them were barely paying any attention, chatting amongst themselves, having spent enough time in a Two to not find it that interesting any more, but Celia, Adam, Tanzi and Nikos were openly staring, their eyes darting here and there as they tried to take in everything at once.

“So, since you two decided to give away the wedding we put so much time and attention into, care to tell us what you have planned? Where are we even going?” Grandma asked, trying to put on an annoyed tone but failing. 

She’d enjoyed their little ceremony, it had been quietly romantic, intimate and so very them. She knew that, in reality, the wedding she had planned with Celia, while being beautiful, would have lacked that certain something that was just so them. 

She could admit they'd taken over the planning too much, picking things that had been more to their tastes than John’s and Selene's but they had just been so excited to see one of their own get married. 

It was hard to see someone you had raised turn from a helpless child to a fully functioning adult that was moving on with their life, no longer needing you and this had been their way of feeling useful, of helping. Their intentions had been good but, somewhere along the line, they had lost sight of the real reason they were doing it and had become more of a hindrance than a help. 

“As per John's instructions, Parker has decorated my ballroom and should be awaiting the food delivery in the next hour, hence why he is not here with us. Everything has been arranged and from the few little glimpses I've seen of the secret deliveries, it should look beautiful," Penelope answered, overhearing the conversation.

"I'm sure it will be wonderful, you have such a lovely house," Grandma agreed. "And you two did so well with the ceremony, as did you, dear."

Tanzi smiled at the older woman, acknowledging the compliment. She didn't perform handfasts that often now, only for good friends but it had been an honour to be part of their day and she'd enjoyed it immensely. 

"The words were lovely and while some parts were a little strange," Grandma continued in a thoughtful tone. "I thought it was very romantic."

"I still can't believe you two managed to organise a wedding and a reception without any of us knowing and, more importantly, without anything being leaked," Alan whistled, in absolute awe of the efficient genius that was his brother. "How on earth did you do it?" 

"By being very sneaky," Selene answered. "No offence to anyone, the other wedding was beautiful, but we knew that by holding it somewhere well known and by having everything arranged by outside companies, there was no way we'd be able to get any privacy. This day wasn't for the press or the rest of the world to see, it was for us and you guys. That was all we wanted, the stress of it was causing arguments that we didn't like and we didn't want to go into our official marriage with any bad feelings."

"So we took advantage of what we had, a beach and a private location and a family friend with a beautiful home that already contained all we needed. Penny regularly hosts dinner parties for more people than we have invited and she has a butler that knows how to get things done,” John continued for her, taking up the explanation. 

“There are no outside organisers, no one else was involved at all and therefore no one was any the wiser. The guests will have received our pre programmed text via EOS informing them of the location change and should either be on their way or already there."

"That's all well and good," Celia huffed, still a little put out, "but I think it's time you explained just what this whole renewal business is about."

John glanced at Selene, who winced, he shrugged in return and she nodded her acceptance. He'd explained about the reception, now it was her turn. 

"Traditionally a handfast was a non-official wedding, done in the times when people might not be able to get to a church or holy place to have the ceremony performed. A handfast was a kind of placeholder, lasting a year and a day before you either renewed it or dissolved it."

"So when did I miss your first one?" Scott asked, sounding a little hurt. “You know I’d have wanted to be there.”

"You all missed it, think about it, a year and a day, we didn't just pick this date because it's a year since Dad came home," John told them, reaching over to take hold of Selene’s hand, the safety bars of the pod rescue seats meaning they were held in place too much for him to do anything else. 

"I wanted to be married before we left, none of us knew what was going to happen out there and we wanted something positive and just for us, and a promise to do it again with all of you present, everyone. We wanted Dad there, just as he was today." He paused to let the information sink in, to let them picture Jeff in the co-pilot seat beside Virgil at that very moment. 

"There was nothing to tell because it wasn't for anyone but us. There was no one there, it wasn't planned, it was a spur of the moment thing that we needed. We won't apologise for that," his tone was firm and broached no arguments, his eyes flicking from one family member to the next, daring them to argue. No one did. 

“So, basically, you've been married for a year and didn’t tell anyone?” Gordon clarified, always the one that was brave enough to ask the hard questions.

“Basically…yes,” Selene admitted. “But not legally and it would have ended tomorrow if we hadn’t renewed it.”

“Just be grateful we didn’t go to Vegas and make it legal that night without any of you there,” John retorted. “It could have been much worse.”

“Yes, I could have had a daughter that was married to a man I hadn’t even met,” Celia sniffed. “I’m just glad it wasn’t a real wedding.”

John felt Selene stiffen beside him and squeezed her hand comfortingly, but also in warning to let it go, just for now. He knew how much their first handfast had meant to both of them but especially to Selene. To her it was as real a wedding as the one they had just had and he knew that her mother’s words had hurt her, but now wasn't the time to address it. 

"John?" a little voice piped up from the depths of Selene's lap where the EOS drive was buried, hidden amongst the mounds of fabric. 

"Yes, EOS?" he answered, reaching over to dig his hand through the folds of her skirt to locate the drive. 

“I sent the texts and rearranged the transport, as requested. They have provided a large coach for the occasion which will ferry the guests to and from the hotel you booked. Do you require anything else?”

“Thank you, that’s perfect, and no, you can relax for the day now. How did you find the ceremony?”

“It was very interesting. I’d researched human rituals and customs and that seemed to contain a number of them, although its execution was a little different to what I expected.”

“Such rituals are usually unique to the people conducting them,” John explained patiently, automatically going into parent mode as he so often did with her. He loved the way her mind worked, how they never knew what she would say next or what her new fascination would be. Plus, it wasn't like he had anything else to do on the flight, everyone else was either chatting or amusing themselves with their phones. “Selene and I wanted something that was special to us, not that everyone else would have.”

“I have been researching the legalities of marriage,” EOS continued and he smiled, once again in complete awe of the amazing thing that had evolved from something so small. 

“And what did you find?” he asked; indulging her curious mind was one of his favourite pastimes.

“It is said, unless otherwise stipulated by the signing of a prenuptial agreement, that the married couple would share everything they own equally.”

“That’s not entirely true, usually anything the couple owns jointly is equal, anything owned before the marriage or in a single name is often excluded. ”

“I understand. Did you arrange anything like that? I cannot find anything in your files.”

Selene raised an eyebrow at that, as did a few others that were listening in, apparently finding their conversations to be more entertaining than sitting bored.

“No, why do you ask?”

“Because you own me, and I would not like to be split in half, should the need arise. Statistics show that more than half of all marriages end in divorce.”

“Well, that’s a cheery thought, thanks EOS,” Selene grumbled. John mouthed a sorry to her before turning back to the gently flickering lights of his far too serious AI.

“You don’t have to worry about any of that," he assured her. "Because it won’t happen.” 

“But if it did?” she pressed, her need for information overriding all he had tried to teach her about social cues.

Sighing, Selene took the drive from him, the last thing she needed was EOS spending the whole reception rattling off statistics and predicting the many and varied ways their marriage could fail before they had even cut the cake. 

“Listen up, baby girl. Nothing is going to happen to you. If, and it’s a very tiny if, we ever decided to divorce you wouldn’t have to worry. As John just said, anything acquired before marriage and in a single name stays his own, and you were here before me. So you’re safe, OK?”

Her lights flickered again, spinning in a lazy circle a sure sign she was thinking. “Yes,” she finally answered. “That answer is satisfactory, but until that day I shall consider myself joint property of you both.”

“Well, thank you for that,” Selene answered.

“What’s that thing you have there?” Celia asked, suddenly curious, sniffing out more information she hadn’t been made privy to but believed she should know.

“Landing now,” Virgil’s voice cut in over the comms and everyone fell quiet as the VTOL engines kicked in, drowning out any chance of conversation. 

Selene sighed in relief, glad to have escaped her mother’s scrutiny but it was short lived. Her mother was a tenacious thing when she sensed that someone was keeping something from her and as soon as they had disembarked she was by her side, continuing her questions.

“Fancy that, we left in the early morning when the sun was just rising and now it’s evening and dark already. What time is it here?” 

“It’s just before nine,” John helpfully supplied. “I know it’s strange, but you’ll get used to it.”

“Who was that on that fancy phone of yours?” Celia asked him.

“Her name is EOS, I made her back in college.”

“It’s not a phone, Mum,” Selene added. “It’s a portable drive for John’s AI.”

“His what now?”

Selene heard Gordon and Alan sniggering behind her but bravely soldiered on.

“His AI, he created her by mistake and she-”

“Is that what the youngsters are calling it these days? In my day we just called it an accident and got on with it. I just wish you’d told me he already had a child, but it seems to be a habit of yours now, keeping vital information from me.”

“I don’t have a-” John started at the same time as Selene jumped in to try to help.

“Mum, she’d not really a-” 

“You don't look old enough but I guess these things happen. Why wasn’t this child at the wedding? Where’s the mother? You don't strike me as the type to forget about your own daughter but I guess you can never really know someone.”

“She has no mother other than Selene,” John tried to explain, wishing he was far away from this conversation.

Unable to stand it any longer Selene took the drive from John and dropped it in Celia’s hand.

“Here, meet EOS, this is your new granddaughter, enjoy!”

She grabbed John by the hand and towed him away without a backwards glance.

“I need a drink.”

“Never have you spoken a truer word.”

***  
Walking through the door into Penny's ballroom was like stepping into a starlit wonderland. Parker must have worked some kind of miracle on Penelope’s ballroom to get it looking like it did in such a short space of time. He’d strung up the lights they had ordered, along with the hanging decorations and scattered candles here and there as per Selene’s request.

John had ordered tablecloths that almost matched her dress, dark blue with little sprinkles of glitter, along with matching napkins. Parker had dug through one of the mansion’s many store rooms and unearthed pale blue chair covers which were normally used for garden parties but matched quite well with their theme, arranging each table in little clusters around the edges of the room, leaving the center open for dancing later in the evening.

Each table was set with a selection of Penelope’s beautiful silverware and although there hadn't been enough of one style to go round he’d made sure each table had its own matching set. 

Each table had been named for a constellation and Parker had helpfully positioned the seating plan near the doors so no one had an excuse to sit anywhere but their assigned seats. It seemed to have worked as everyone looked to be where they should be, having arrived almost an hour before.

A long table had been set up for the immediate family, positioned near a large bank of windows and patio doors that led out onto the lush, perfectly manicured lawns and gardens of the mansion. 

Their specially ordered cake sat in the centre of the table, ordered under the guise of a birthday cake, one layer was plain sponge, another was chocolate, another traditional fruitcake and the last a carrot cake. Parker had finished it off with a topper they had ordered, turning the cake into a beautiful representation of themselves.

In an effort to keep everything top secret and as relaxed as possible, John had decided against employing a band or even a DJ, opting instead to make use of the mansion's impressive integrated sound system that ran throughout the house, fed through discreetly hidden speakers. 

John had uploaded a playlist of their favourite songs, which was already playing softly, acting as background noise as people wandered around, mingling with the other guests, catching up with friends and family.

Parker had offered to play barkeep for the night and he had help in the form of Avery, a friend of Selene’s and Tanzi’s brother-in-law whom John had met when his bachelor party had merged with Selene’s. Even though John wasn’t usually one to chat to people he didn’t know, he’d felt strangely comfortable with the flamboyant man who looked like he’d just stepped out of a pirate romance novel and had confided in him, telling him his plans for the reception while the rest of the party had made good use of the karaoke machine. Avery, upon hearing his plans had immediately offered his services for the night which John had gratefully accepted.

"Oh, wow!" Selene breathed in wonder, completely overwhelmed by just how perfect it was. 

“I know,” John replied, feeling almost as awestruck as Selene. “Parker has done an amazing job.”

“He has, but so have you. Everything is just perfect, thank you,” unable to resist she dragged him down for a kiss.

“Hey, knock it off, save it for the wedding night!” someone called out and just like that the spell was broken and they were surrounded by friends and family. 

Many congratulations were thrown their way, along with compliments of her dress and John's suit but, most surprising of all was the reaction to the hat that still sat on her head. There had been a few laughs, yes, but honestly it had gone down better than she had expected. Most people had recognised it instantly and were quite in awe of seeing it. Scott had been right, it was iconic and judging from the amount of people who had asked to try it on, a bit of a favourite, although she could have done without his smug grin and told-you-so expression. 

They managed to extract themselves some twenty minutes later and made their way to their table where John called for attention.

“Hello, everyone,” he started, waiting until there was quiet before continuing. “On behalf of myself and my wife-”

“Damn, that’s weird,” Selene interrupted, prompting a fair few sniggers from their guests. “Sorry, didn’t mean to say that out loud, carry on.”

“Thank you for the permission,” he replied drolly. 

“That’s it, that’s how it’ll be from now on, the wife interrupting everything you say,” someone called out. Selene swept her eyes over the tables for the culprit, not in the least surprised to see Troy smirking back at her. She rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to John; giving Troy any encouragement was a recipe for disaster.

“I can assure you that I’m already used to it, we didn’t need a certificate for that,” John tossed back, although his tone showed he didn’t mind in the slightest. “It’s actually easier than talking to people, I just let her be the social one, but I figured today I should make the effort, since Selene knew nothing about what I had planned for this reception.”

Selene picked up her glass, saluting him and his good work. 

“Once again, thank you all for being here, we know the change of venue was last minute and that some of you found yourselves excluded from the ceremony but as you may know, we’ve had a number of issues with our plans being leaked, so we had to take certain measures to ensure our privacy. That being said, you may also have noticed the lack of staff that you would normally see at an event such as this, that too was deliberate on our parts.”

Several people nodded their understanding.

“We’d like to thank Penelope for graciously offering to open up her home to us and Parker for all his hard work in helping to arrange this,” he swept a hand out, gesturing to the decorations and table places. “He’s also manning the bar for us along with Avery, which we very much appreciate. Now, like us you must be hungry, the food is now available but, in accordance to our mandate of no outside help there will be no table service, so grab a plate and help yourself, just as family does.”

At John’s nod Parker and Avery began to remove the covers from the buffet table, revealing its contents. Instead of the expected silver platters of posh food they saw hundreds of cardboard containers with distinctive marks on the sides.

“Is that chinese take out?” someone gasped, triggering a wave of laughter throughout the guests.

“You ordered a take away?” Selene laughed, utterly blown away. “That is absolutely perfect.”

The guests formed an orderly line, seeming to think nothing of picking up a plate and helping themselves to a little, or a lot, of whatever took their fancy. John had made sure he ordered something for every taste and dietary requirement, not wanting to take any chances.

John sat back down in his seat, taking her hand in his, bringing it to his lips. “We did say we wanted the day to be perfect for us.”

“And it is, it literally couldn’t be any better.”

***

“You should not have gotten chinese,” Selene groaned as she pushed her empty plate away. “I think my bodice is about to burst.”

“You're never satisfied,” John answered mildly. “First you liked it, now you don’t. Is this how it’s going to be from now on, me never getting anything right?”

“Probably,” she admitted, taking a sip of her drink, another Witches Heart courtesy of Avery. “Got a problem with that?”

“It’s a bit late now, isn’t it?”

“Yep, you’re stuck with me now, you’re never getting rid of me. Despite what EOS might believe there will be no need for shared custody.”

“Talking of EOS, where is she? Does your mother still have her?”

“Shit! I don’t know,” Selene looked around, trying to locate her mother who had managed to vanish off the face of the earth. “I lost track of them in them but I’m sure she’s around here somewhere. What's the worst that could happen? It's a woman in her fifties and a portable drive.”

John gave her a look that said she was kidding herself if she thought it would be that easy. “Let’s not tempt fate, love.”

“I’ll go find her,” Selene sighed, trying to push her chair back but getting tangled in her dress. “Help!”

John moved to help her, unwrapping the heel that had caught on the hem of her skirt. “There, you’re free.”

“Thanks, I’ll be right back.”

A sharp tinkling noise made her pause, turning in her chair to find the source of the noise.

“Can I have your attention please?” Jeff called, his voice carrying through the room with a quiet authority that meant he didn’t actually have to shout to be heard, people just shut up and paid attention when in his presence. Selene wished she had the same power, then she wouldn't have to go full harpy every time she wanted people to listen.

“I’d just like to take a moment to thank my son and his lovely wife for including me in their special day. I’m not one for long speeches so I’ll just say that it has been one of my greatest pleasures to get to know Selene over the past year and that I wish them every luck in the world, may they have many, many more years of love, laughter and happiness.” He raised his glass in a toast and took a hearty sip. “I’m now going to hand you over to my family and Selene’s, who I’m sure have something to say, as they share their favorite memories of John and Selene.”

"Thanks, Dad."

Selene squeezed John's knee where her hand rested, knowing how much it meant to him to not only have Jeff there with them, but to know he approved wholeheartedly with their marriage. 

The power struggles they'd had since Jeff had come home were not something any of them would forget about but they were nothing compared to the joy of having Jeff back with them. Any problem could be worked though by talking it out and being considerate of others’ feelings and they were definitely on the right path. 

“The first time I met Selene I knew there was something weird about her,” Scott started, having gotten to his feet for his turn, earning him a gasp of mock outrage from Selene. He grinned at her, totally unrepentant as he plowed on. “There had to be, because I’d never seen my brother so entranced by someone as he was her. They fit, from the very start, like they were two pieces of the same jigsaw puzzle and the more I saw them together the more I could tell that they were perfect for one another."

“I gave her a warning of course, hurt him and she’d have to deal with me,” he paused to allow the people listening to stop laughing before he continued, “but she actually told me off instead, which seemed to be a bit of a theme for her. She threw herself right into the center of our crazy family and settled in as if she’d always been there, bossing us around, looking after us, making sure we ate and being there for emotional support when the bad times got a little too bad. John might have found a wife, but I found a best friend and sister, as did we all.”

Selene bit her lip as tears threatened to spill, leaning gratefully against John as he wrapped his arm around her waist, giving her a comforting squeeze.

“I guess I should say congratulations to my little brother and that I officially renounce my position as her backup boyfriend.” He picked up his beer bottle, saluted John and took a long drink, accepting his applause graciously before sitting down.

"I should hope so, too," John grinned, tugging her a little closer. "You don't automatically get everything by being the oldest."

“So you say,” Scott shot back although John was prevented from answering as another brother stood, calling for attention. 

One by one, each and every Tracy stood up to share a story. Alan told of how she had scared the hell out of him by waving a tarantula under his nose at the zoo and how she and John had sat up with him all night while he struggled to get his last high school history project finished on time. John had helped by listening as he hashed out his theories and wrote in quick bursts while Selene provided him with freshly baked cookies at three in the morning and kept the milkshakes and hugs flowing.

Gordon shared a hilariously embellished version of Selene putting the aquarium tour guide in his place and the time he and John had tried to teach her to surf with very mixed results. They were just glad she hadn't drowned although Gordon almost had when he'd dared to suggest that witches were supposed to float. 

Virgil recounted the story of rescuing Armstrong and how John was still refusing to allow them out alone together, something he still stood by more than a year later. He was convinced they'd somehow find a chicken, a raccoon or something even more random and bring it home with them. 

Kayo told a previously unknown story of how she and Selene had scared Gordon and Alan while they were all camping on the beach after telling scary stories around a campfire. John, who had been the one to pick many leaves and a fair few twigs out of Selene’s hair when she had returned to their tent, had apparently never snitched on them, much to the disgust of his brothers.

“I have too many stories to tell,” Grandma began. “But there is a special bond between a grandmother and her grandsons that dictates such stories should never be told in polite company,” she paused as she waited for a few people to stop laughing, giving them a mock stern look to hurry them along. “So, what I will say is that I formally forgive them for sneaking around behind my back and planning their own wedding, it’s been a beautiful day, although it’s still only eleven in the morning for us and I’ve just eaten chinese food for breakfast, so it’s certainly been more unique than anything previously planned. I know they will be very happy together, there is no one I’d trust more with my grandson.”

After Grandma had accepted her polite applause Celia, who had materialised back at the table sometime during Virgil’s story, stood up.

“There isn’t much that I can say about my daughter that hasn’t already been said, I just wish her father were here, he was much better at speeches than I am. All I will say is, for the brief time that my husband knew John, he liked him a lot. He said to me ‘Celia, she’s finally found a good one. That boy worships her, he’ll look after her, don’t you worry,’ and I can see now that he was right."

Selene bit her lip, clinging tight to John's hand where they rested in his lap. She could feel his thumb absently stroking the new ring on her finger, a soft back and forth that felt strangely alien but at the same time familiar and very comforting. 

"He always saw people for who they were, my Rufus, he saw the truth in people and he could see the love our girl had for this boy just as much as he had for her," Celia continued. "I don’t really understand all the things they promised each other, but I do believe that they will be very happy, and as a mother, that’s all you want for your children. It’s like I was telling Dawn earlier, you can’t always protect your children as you would like to, sometimes they have to fall down and learn to get back up on their own, but at least I know that Selene has someone that will catch her when she falls. I don’t really know what else to say, sorry.”

Celia sat back down with a bit of a bump, showing that she’d likely spent her missing time camped out at the bar, but it didn’t make her words any less special. 

Selene knew that it had taken a lot for her mother to stand up in front of so many of her husband’s family and talk about him now that he wasn't there. Most of them she was seeing for the first time since his funeral. Selene was just glad that she had felt ready to talk about him in that way and to share his thoughts on John. It meant the world to her to know that her dad had liked him and that he trusted him as much as she did.

"Who's Dawn?" John whispered in her ear. He'd seen the guest list and there hadn't been a cousin Dawn on there. 

"Maybe a plus one?" Selene whispered back, shrugging. "For all we know Troy has three backup dates stashed in the hall cupboard."

"Is he really that bad? I know Gordon has had some tales to tell about him, but my brother isn't always known for his seriousness or factual accuracy, coupled with the fact that he and Troy hate each other and it could all be vicious rumours."

"Yes, he is that bad. He promised himself to three girls as their prom date and tried to bounce between them all without them knowing, obviously they found out. Why do they hate each other, anyway? I mean, I know he can be a bit of a dick but-" 

"Which one?" 

Selene grinned evilly. "I won't tell Gordon you said that."

"Thank you, but truthfully, I don't actually know and apparently neither does Gordon. He can't remember, he just knows he hates him and that's good enough to carry on the fued."

"Boys are weird," she started, about to say more but she stopped when Adam, prodded by Celia, reluctantly got to his feet. She and John dropped the conversation and turned to listen. 

“Lot of people,” Adam observed, looking around the room and John couldn’t help but agree with him, Selene had more family than he could have ever imagined. The room was packed even though they had tried to cut down numbers as much as possible.

“I didn’t think cousin Otis would be out of rehab yet, good to see you, dude,” he lifted his beer in greeting, ignoring the scowl Otis directed his way. Selene rolled her eyes, not in the least surprised, Adam did things at his own pace in his own way, which amounted to laid back hippy. 

“I don’t like weddings,” Adam continued, his words slow and measured as if he were talking more to himself than the people that watched him intently, “seems like a big fuss over nothing and an excuse for a party. But I suppose, as weddings go, this one wasn’t too bad. Less frilly than some, nice words too.” 

Selene and John, nodded their thanks, what else could they do? Celia smacked his leg, but he ignored it much as he did everything else. 

“I don’t have much to say, not about my sister anyway, or John, other than he’s a brave man to take her on. I will say this though, to quote the teachings of Buddha, 'thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared'. I know these two will be happy and that's all that matters to me, if that comes from being married, that's on them.”

He didn’t bother to sit back down again, instead opting to wander out the nearest open door and into the garden.

"He is totally your brother," John groaned, shaking his head in utter disbelief. 

"Just be grateful I only have the one."

***

"Will you just shut up!" 

Selene paused on her way back from the bathroom, shocked to hear someone shout so loudly that they could be heard over the loud buzz of conversation that filled the ballroom. 

Her eyes darted here and there, looking for whoever it was that was causing trouble. But to her surprise nothing jumped out at her, in fact, no one else seemed to have even heard it. Picking up her skirts she wound her way through the tables under the pretence of checking on their guests.

She didn't know the voice but there were a few faces she didn’t recognise dotted here and there, some having obviously come as plus ones and others being friends of John’s that she hadn’t met before, so she listened carefully, trying to match the voice with the person. No such luck.

She was so focused on tracking down the mystery trouble maker that she didn’t notice someone was behind her until they tapped her on the shoulder.

“Can I have this dance?”

“Like I could ever say no,” she smiled, accepting the hand her husband held out, allowing him to lead her to the dance floor as the song he had chosen began to play. From the first words she knew exactly why he had picked it and couldn’t help the stupid smile that formed.

When they reached the center of the dance floor she wound her arms around his neck, just as she had so long ago at Penelope’s ball, the first and only time they had had the opportunity to dance like this.

Once again they were the center of attention but this time he didn’t mind in the slightest. His hands settled on her waist, pulling her in closer as they rocked slowly in time to the music, rotating on the spot, bodies swaying in sync. 

John watched as she mimed along to the words, resting her forehead against his, the rest of the world fading into the background. Nothing mattered to him but the woman in his arms, she was his whole world. 

The first time they had danced had been a statement, him showing her, and everyone else, that she was good enough, that she was special, amazing and his. He’d forced himself out of his comfort zone, voluntarily putting himself in the spotlight for her, but he hadn’t regretted it for an instant. He just wished that he’d realised then what he knew for certain now, just how much he loved her.

When she tipped her head back to look at him he was unable to resist the lure of her lips, ignoring the whoops and cheers from their audience, simply relaxing into their kiss.

As was customary, around halfway through their dance others started to trickle out onto the dance floor to join them, giving them time to simply be together and enjoy without all eyes focused on them.

“Have I told you today that I love you?” 

“Not recently, no, you married me but I’m not sure that’s enough,” John grinned. “I think you need to tell me again.”

“I really, really love you.”

“Good.”

Selene raised an eyebrow expectantly.

“You’re OK I suppose.”

He ducked the smack she aimed at his shoulder and caught hold of her hand, swinging her around into a slightly awkward waltz, loving the way she squealed in shock, laughing as he towed her around.

They were still laughing when Scott cut in at the end of the song, wanting to claim his dance.

“Regretting giving up your backup spot?” John teased as he released his hold on Selene, swapping her for Cat, Scott’s date for the night.

“I’ll make sure he gives her back to you,” Cat promised as Scott swept Selene off into a lively and completely ridiculous version of a tango, her hat flying off her head. 

***

“Oh, sorry dear, this old bladder isn’t as strong as it used to be. One minute it’s fine, the next it’s getting all demanding again,” Celia apologised, almost crashing into the younger woman waiting patiently outside the bathroom.

“No problem.”

“Are you having a good time? It’s the most lovely wedding, isn’t it? Just magical with all the stars and things, though it was a bit strange having chinese for breakfast, but I’ve learnt to accept things as I’ve gotten older. I guess as long as it makes them happy, who are we to complain.”

“Yes, I suppose so, he certainly looks happy.”

“They both do, made for each other, those two are, any fool can see it,” Celia didn’t give the woman time to comment on that statement, instead she launched straight into another question. “Did you get enough to eat? They ordered enough to feed an army but I know you youngsters can be a bit picky with your food.”

“Oh, erm...no, I unfortunately managed to miss the start,” the woman replied, clearly taken aback by this sudden ambush in the relatively quiet hallway. “I was in a meeting and didn’t get the text about the venue change until I switched my phone back on, then I had to organise a ride.”

“Oh, well, you’re here now, that’s all that matters, they’ll be happy to see you and there's still plenty left.”

“I’m not so sure about that, I almost didn’t come.”

Celia frowned, not liking the tone the woman’s voice had taken on.

“Why would you think that? You wouldn’t have gotten an invite if they didn’t want to see you, it’s all very exclusive you know.”

The woman shrugged, wishing she could take back her words, she wasn’t in the mood for scrutiny, all she had wanted to do was make an appearance, offer the customary congratulations and leave as quickly as possible. Now it seemed she was stuck with the chatty aunt type.

“Weddings just aren’t really my thing, you know how it is, seeing a happy couple can be a little hard sometimes.”

“I suppose it could be seen that way,” Celia answered, although clearly she couldn’t see how, she was just humouring her.

“I guess it just makes me a little jealous, you know?” her fingers fiddled with the little tasseled ends of her beaded shawl, feeling far too exposed while out of her comfort zone and self conscious in the dress she was wearing. She was far more used to practical clothes and usually just threw on whatever was clean at the time if she wasn’t in her uniform.

Celia’s frown instantly cleared, morphing into an expression of sympathy. 

“Oh, I see. Well don’t you worry your head about that, a pretty girl like you, you’ll find someone soon enough, someone just as good,” she nodded like it was a done deal and warranted no argument.

“What if I already did and he got away?”

“Then he was a fool, that or not the right one for you,” Celia sniffed, insulted on the young lady's behalf.

“Or I wasn’t the right one for him.”

“Now, now, no sad faces as such a happy event,” Celia scolded. “We’ll have none of that self pity. Your John will be out there somewhere just waiting for you. As I always told my Selene every time someone broke her heart, your perfect love is out there and when you meet him you’ll have no doubts, just like with her father.”

“Her father? Selene’s your...you’re her mother?”

“For all my sins, yes. But she’s not turned out too badly, if I do say so myself.” Celia held out her hand. “Celia Tempest, it’s nice to meet you.”

“Ridley O’Bannon,” she replied, shaking the older lady's hand. “It’s nice to meet you, too.”

“Well, I’ll be on my way now, I’ve kept you long enough and as you’re waiting here I assume you have business to attend to,” Celia departed with a little wave.

“Mrs Tempest?” Ridley called after her, acting on impulse before she could stop herself.

“Yes, dear?” Celia stopped, turning back.

“Did you mean what you said? Do you honestly believe there is someone out there for everyone?”

“With all my heart. You never forget your first love, but that doesn’t mean that there can’t be others even more wonderful. Believe me, when you meet the right one, nothing else will matter to them than being with you. You won’t need flowery declarations of love or a fancy wedding, all you’ll care about is them,” Celia trailed off, realising what she had just said. She’d been giving her daughter a hard time over keeping the wedding a secret, yet she’d just told the complete opposite to the woman in front of her. He closed her eyes, knowing she needed to talk to Selene, to make it right.

“Mrs Tempest, are you alright?” 

The concerned tone in the woman's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, bringing her back to the present. She quickly pulled herself together, smoothing her hair rather unnecessarily but needing something to do with her hands.

“Yes, I’m fine, dear. Now you just remember what I said, it’s all about faith. You keep that in mind.”

“Thank you, I will.”

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to talk to my daughter. Come find me later, once you’ve had a think about what I’ve said, I know a few nice WASP men that are here, I could introduce you.”

“I’ll bear that in mind,” Ridley laughed, pushing open the bathroom door.

Celia stopped in the doorway, just taking a moment to watch her daughter, enjoying the carefree way she danced enthusiastically with the youngest Tracy, both of them bouncing on the spot to some heavy metal type of song that she’d never heard before. Not that she listened to that kind of thing, she wasn’t really a fan of her daughter’s taste in music but, as she was discovering, it didn’t matter if their tastes weren’t the same, Selene would do what was right for her no matter what.

Determined, Celia wound her way through the throng of dancers, waiting until the song ended to claim her daughter.

“Oh, thank the gods,” Selene sighed, collapsing down in her chair and reaching for a glass of water. It could have been John’s, it could have been Jeff’s or even Adam’s she didn’t know and didn’t care, it was hers now. Bride rights. And if that wasn’t a thing then she was about to make it one. She gulped down half the glass, still panting from her recent exertion. 

“Alan sure knows how to bounce,” she laughed, looking affectionately over at him, now dancing with his date, the slower song giving everyone a chance for a little rest. Brandon had one hand on Alan’s waist and...yep, the other was resting comfortably on his backside, a sure sign of possession if ever she had seen one. She couldn’t help but smile, loving the easy way in which the two danced, Alan’s chin resting on Brandon’s shoulder as if it belonged there. 

“Sel, can I have a quick word?”

Selene tore her eyes away from the couple and gave her mum her full attention. “Of course, is everything alright? Did something happen with EOS, is she OK? Where is she?”

“EOS? Oh, oh Dawn’s fine, I gave her to her uncle a while ago. She’s a sweet thing, very curious though, she was asking me about my bridge club, apparently she can play chess rather well but has never attempted bridge so I’ve promised to teach her.”

Selene blinked, a little overwhelmed by all that information that it took her a moment to unpack it all. She mentally shoved aside some of it to deal with later and concentrated on the important part.

“Which uncle?” Please don’t be Gordon, please don’t be Gordon, she silently prayed.

“The big one, Virgo is it?"

"It's Virgil, Mum."

"Really? He was talking to that nice man with the hat and I'm sure I heard him call him Virgo as I handed her over.” 

“It's still Virgil, but it's OK, he's safe to leave her with. Was that all you wanted to tell me?”

“No, but as usual you interrupted me before I had a chance to speak.”

“Sorry,” Selene apologized, instantly chastised. How was it that she was now an adult, a married one at that, and her mother could still make her feel like a naughty child that should be seen and not heard with a simple sentence?

“I just wanted to say sorry for what I said earlier,” Celia started.

“Pardon?” Her mother never apologised for anything.

“You interrupted me again. Can I continue?”

“Sorry, again, yes, please do.”

“What I said about the whole handwrapping thing not being a real wedding, I realised that it meant a great deal to you and that it wasn’t my place to judge.”

Selene wasn’t often lost for words, but there was a first time for everything. Judging was practically a full time sport for her mother, she never did it to be nasty, it just seemed to come naturally to her. Anything she didn’t understand or deemed strange was there to be picked at and prodded until she either broke it or figured it out how it worked. Selene had always been an anomaly to her, something she could never figure out no matter how much she poked her, but it seemed that her mother had learnt something along the way after all.

“Did you know that I almost got married once before? Before I knew your father?”

“No!” Selene gasped. “You’ve never said a thing!”

“Well,” Celia sniffed, “it’s not the done thing to talk about. Those were different times and it didn’t work out, he had to go away and we had planned to get married before he left, a quick thing, just the two of us and a couple of witnesses we found on the street, but it never happened. He left earlier than planned and I met your father six months later.”

“Wow,” Selene breathed, not quite knowing what to say to that revelation.

"Don’t get me wrong, I don’t regret it, I’ve never met a more wonderful man than your dad and without him I’d have never had you two children. I loved your father very much and I miss him every day, but earlier I was reminded of how I felt about my first love, of how I was prepared to do anything to marry him. We wanted to be married before he left, so he had something to hold on to while he was away, something to come back to, just like you and John. I shouldn’t have belittled it like that, you did things your way at a time when it seems that you were just as desperate as I was.”

Selene nodded, understanding that feeling all too well. She knew that her mother had loved her father, but she’d always felt there was a little sadness about her mum that she could never put her finger on, like something was missing. Now that she knew, she could see it in her mother’s eyes and understood her more than she had ever thought she would. 

“Thank you for telling me. I know that I live my life in an unconventional way and that you don’t always understand it, but it works for us. I never meant to keep anything from you, I never meant to get married without you and Dad there, I just…” she trailed off, not knowing how to put it into words.

“You just loved him so much,” Celia filled in.

Selene nodded again, grateful that her mother understood. “I did, I do.”

“And that’s all that matters, you have to do what’s best for you and what makes you happy, I’m just sorry I made you feel bad because I forgot that.”

“It’s OK, I understand, but thank you,” Selene took her mum’s hand, holding it tight. “And thank you for being here.”

“Your daddy would have been so proud of you today, he’d have loved to see you looking so pretty in your dress, he loved you so much.”

“I loved him too,” Selene whispered, not trusting herself to say anything else.

Celia squeezed Selene’s hand then extracted her own. “I think you need to rescue your husband,” she laughed, nodding towards the bar area where John was surrounded by what Selene assumed were some of his astronaut friends as well as Troy and George.

“Fuck!”

“Selene, language! And on your wedding day, too.”

“Sorry, Mum,” Selene dropped a kiss on her mother's cheek. “I’ll be back, it seems that hubby has a situation.”

***

“Are you OK?” Selene whispered to John when she finally reached his side. He grabbed on to her gratefully, pulling her into his arms, well aware that he was using his wife as a shield but unable to care. Self preservation was now all he could think of.

“No, please get me away from them. You see that couple over there?” he nodded briefly towards the dance floor and she looked over. Her eyes scanned the dancers, seeing Grandma and Adam, Gordon and Penny, Tanzi and Nikos and Kayo had somehow managed to drag Rigby onto the dance floor too. 

Brains was chatting quietly with Moffie, having found an empty table for them to sit at, completely ignoring John’s carefully organised seating plan. Virgil was still deep in conversation with Kip, EOS sticking out of his pocket, her lights rotating slowly. 

Scott and Cat were nowhere to be seen and neither was Jeff. Nothing was out of the ordinary, unless you counted her brother’s dancing, which looked to be a cross between a chicken dance and some kind of Tai Chi.

“Who am I looking at?” she side whispered, her eyes roaming the dancers. “Oh.” 

“Yes,” John agreed.

“I love this song!” the woman yelled at the top of her voice, latching on to her dance partner, her talon like fingernails buried in his hair as she hauled him in for an enthusiastic snog that looked like it should have been marked with a big red X. She continued to dance, undulating her body against the man’s front like she was trying to start a fire, her butt wiggling as she ground her hips against his crotch.

“Who the hell is that? I don’t recognise them.”

“That’s Dale, I did my training with him, and his partner would be the stripper from my bachelor party.

“He brought a stripper to our wedding! Do I even want to know why?”

“No, I don’t think you do.”

“Fair enough, I don’t have the mental capacity to think about it right now.”

“Shit! You clumsy fucker!”

Selene’s head whipped round, searching for the source of the yelling. “What fresh hell is this?”

“I’m sorry, did I just miss something?” John asked, his eyebrows scrunched up in confusion at her outburst. 

“That yelling?” she gave him a look that said he was being particularly dense.

“What yelling?”

“You didn’t hear that?”

“Hear what?”

Selene took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. It wasn’t the first time she’d heard disembodied voices, but generally they were a lot more polite than this one. Her eyes scanned the room again, this time looking for any trace of spirit activity, but there was nothing.

Just out of her line of sight she saw someone get up, holding her dripping skirt out in front of her as she made her way out to the bathrooms.

No, it couldn’t be...could it?

“I’ll be right back,” she promised, extracting herself from his arms.

“No, don’t leave me!” John hissed, making a grab for her hand but she dodged aside. “I won’t be long, be brave.” She blew him a kiss and escaped, hurrying after the woman.

She caught up with her just as she was going into the bathroom

“Marina! Wait up!” Selene called, following her in.

Marina stopped, her head tipped to one side in obvious question.

“You just swore out there, didn’t you?” Selene accused, getting straight to the point, conscious of her promise to not leave John alone for too long.

Marina just looked at her, one eyebrow raised, her expression telling Selene very clearly that she thought she was an idiot.

“I heard you,” Selene plowed on. “John didn’t and I suspect no one else did either, but I did. You yelled when cousin Ethan dropped his drink in your lap. Why did I hear you?”

Marina shrugged, picking up a small stack of paper towels from the side of the sink and blotting her skirt. Selene rolled her eyes, starting to feel royally pissed off. She had much better things to do at her wedding reception than stand around in a bathroom with a mermaid in a wet dress.

“Don’t deny it, I heard you, as clear as you can hear me,” she snapped, losing the last of her patience.

Marina turned to look at her obviously realising there was no escape.

“Marina, are you telepathic or something?”

“All of my people are,” Marina finally answered, speaking directly to her mind. “I didn’t know anyone here could hear me. I don’t normally project like that, my control is usually better, but in times of high emotions I sometimes slip up.” She went back to her skirt, dabbing at the material, a frown on her face.

“Well, it’s nice for me to hear you,” Selene assured her although it didn’t seem to make much difference to the stony expression on Marina’s face. “Sorry, I’m not meaning to pry, but are you alright? Are you not having a good time?”

“Would you be?” Marina snapped.

Selene didn’t know how to answer that without taking it as a personal attack. Obviously she was enjoying the party and she’d hoped they had done a good enough job that their guests were too.

“Should I be insulted?” 

Marina shook her head, then stopped, realising what she was doing. “Sorry, force of habit. No, I didn’t mean the party, it’s lovely. I meant the company I’m with.”

“Cousin Troy being a dick again?”

Marina rolled her eyes. “When isn’t he? If I hear him make one more joke about a silent woman being the best kind I’ll punch him in his smug face.”

Selene debated hopping up onto the sink, although it would likely be rather awkward in her dress. Plu it looked old and quite expensive, as did everything in Penelope’s home, so she settled for closing the toilet lid and perching on it.

“I’m sorry, I have to ask, why are you even here with him then?”

Marina shrugged. “Technically I’m here with Phones. Troy brought Atlanta, though she’s being a sour puss right now because Troy has been dancing with some astronaut girl and not her.”

“He’s dancing with Ridley?” Selene just managed to muffle a shocked giggle. 

“I didn’t catch her name, although I doubt he did either. No one ever introduces me to anyone, they forget I’m there. I’m mute, not deaf, but if you don’t say anything people just ignore you.”

“How long have you been with WASP now? Why do you stay if you don't like it?”

“Too long,” frustrated she threw down the paper towels and started to wring the skirt out over the sink. "I do like it, I like being able to help people like me, those from under the sea rarely have a voice with which to be heard and ironically I can be that for them."

"And has no one ever tried to teach you sign language or something? Surely someone has suggested it.”

“Oh yes, Gordon did, when he was stationed with us. I was getting quite good at it too, we used to have some nice conversations, it drove Troy insane. He was paranoid, thinking we were talking about him behind his back, which we normally weren't. Contrary to his whole belief system, the world does not revolve around him. But then Gordon had his hydrofoil accident and was discharged. No one else had bothered to learn so there was no point continuing.”

“That sounds like something Gordon would do,” Selene agreed, smiling foldly. “Everyone thinks he’s an insensitive joker but really he’s one of the sweetest people I know.”

“Troy hates him.”

“The feeling is mutual,” Selene laughed, “although apparently he doesn't remember why.”

“Neither does Troy, but I do.”

“You do?” Selene couldn’t keep the grin off her face. “Please tell me, seriously, tell me, call it a wedding present. Please.”

Marina turned from the sink to face Selene, an equally evil grin on her face.

***

“It’s nice out here,” Selene observed.

“Yes, it is.”

“Quieter too,” the music coming from the ballroom could still be heard, along with the raucous laughter, but it was muffled, more bearable where they sat under a small pergola, strung all over with fairy lights, in Penelope’s garden. 

Other people milled around in the darkness, the pathways lit by solar powered lights that were dotted here and there, meaning that none one tripped or fell over in the dark of the night. 

The sky, which had been perfectly clear, was now dull, none of the stars that lived above visible beneath the cloudy blanket, yet it was still so nice to sit outside in the fresh air after the heat and smells of the house. You could only have so many people dancing, eating and drinking before they started to warm up and get a wee bit ripe. But here, in this little oasis of calm, they could finally relax.

Selene had tracked him down easily just a few minutes before, having known he would escape at the first opportunity without her there to act as his buffer.

“Is everything OK in there?” she asked, slightly dreading his answer but needing to hear it anyway for her own peace of mind.

“Well, no one died,” he answered with a sigh, making her giggle. “Avery seems to have developed quite a fan club, he showed me the pile of numbers he’s received, he passed them on to Troy, since he’s married.”

“Sapphire will be pleased to hear it.”

“It was his own fault, he was shaking those cocktails like they were maracas while wiggling his butt at anyone that came close enough.”

“That’s him, he's an enigma. As law unto himself.”

“That he is.”

“Has Scott or your dad reappeared?”

“Yep, all present and accounted for. We lost Gordon and Penny for a while but they returned just before I came out here.”

“Any other casualties?”

“I’m afraid your brother might have been right, it seems that your Cousin Otis’ release from the rehab center was a little premature, it took three of your uncles to bundle him into a taxi and take him back to the hotel after he passed out, using his slice of cake as a pillow.” 

“I told you four choices of cake would be overwhelming to some people.”

“Noted, won’t happen again,” he deadpanned. 

She laughed again, loving the oh so serious expression on his face. On a whim she stuck her tongue out, staring at him cross eyed.

“That’s attractive,” he laughed, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, his fingers gliding down her arm.

“You’re freezing,” he accused, sitting up straighter to remove his jacket. “Here, put this on.”

“No, then you’ll be cold.”

“Let’s not start our officially married life with you arguing with me,” he draped the jacket around her shoulders, helping her to slip her arms into the sleeves.

“There, happy now?”

“Extremely. Talking of happy, was Marina OK? I saw the state of her dress and assumed that was why you went after her.”

“Actually, that wasn’t the reason.”

“It wasn’t?”

“No, she’s alright although but she did tell me a few interesting things?”

“She told you?”

“Witch thing,” she explained and he nodded, not needing to know any else. More than two years with her had taught him that some questions in life just didn’t need to be answered.

“What did she tell you?”

“That your brother is a sweetheart.”

“Which one, I have several.”

“Gordon.”

“Huh, surprising.”

“Don’t be mean,” she laughed, bumping her shoulder against his. “You know each and every one of your brothers is amazing.”

“The Tracy bloodline is quality stock.”

“That it is, produces the world's finest men, premium husband material.”

“Glad you finally realised, but why is Gordon so great?”

“Apparently he was teaching her sign language before he was discharged.”

“Makes sense,” he nodded. “Gordon had a deaf friend in highschool and he learnt then, he’d come home every day and teach us what he’d learnt. We’re all fluent now, we had to be for International Rescue.”

“Well, it seems that once Gordon left she had no one to practice with as no one continued to teach her or learn with her.”

John frowned, catching on quickly. “So she’s had no way to communicate this whole time?”

“Nope, not without texting or something.”

“We’ll fix that.”

“I knew you’d say that, so I told her we’d pay for a tutor for her.”

“Of course, I don’t mind doing video calls with her to help either if that will help.”

“You’re the best.”

“I know.”

“She told me some other things too…”

“She did? Like what?”

“The origin of the war between Gordon and Troy.”

“Seriously?"

"Oh yeah, unfortunately it's not as epic as we hoped."

"I'm still curious."

Selene wrapped his arm back around her shoulders, tucking in against his side. 

"Toilet roll."

"Toilet paper? Really?" he asked, his utter disbelief evident in his tone. 

"Yep, the classic argument of which way it should unroll. Apparently they started arguing about it one night and it escalated. After that they just argued about everything. You know how these things can go, you disagree with someone once and then you just disagree on principle every time after that."

"I have four brothers, I'm well aware of how often that can happen."

"It moved on to them just trying anything they could to wind each other up and each time they got more and more pissed off with each other."

"Sounds reasonable."

"You know that teeth clacking thing Gordon does?" 

"The thing Scott calls his dolphin impression?" 

"That's the one, and how he always says he doesn't realise he's doing it?" 

"I'm not sure I believe him, but yes."

"Apparently he sat making that noise in Stingray for more than an hour while Troy went mad trying to figure out what it was. He kept asking if anyone else heard the noise but of course Gordon said no because he was the one making it."

John burst out laughing, unable to hold it in, the sound hanging in the air, wrapping around her like a cozy blanket. She just loved to hear him laugh like that, with such carefree abandon, letting go of his tightly held control to just enjoy himself. 

They finally sobered, their amusement fading into that relaxed contentment that you felt after an unexpected laugh, your feel good endorphins kicking in to make everything feel just that little bit better. 

John reached down beside him, picking up a plate and holding it in the light for her to inspect its contents. With great concentration he picked out a particularly juicy looking specimen for her to try. 

“Strawberry?” he offered, holding one by the stalk.

“Gods yes,” she leant over, licking the dripping chocolate off the end, not wanting it to dribble onto her dress, before taking a bite. “Oh,” she moaned happily as the sweet chocolate mingled with the slight tartness of the fruit, “that’s so good. I can’t believe you got a chocolate fountain but I’m so glad you did. I married the best man in the world."

“Let’s hope I can prove it later.”

Selene made a little confused noise around her mouthful of strawberry as she took another bite. 

“I don’t want a strawberry to be the only thing you moan about tonight,” he set the plate aside, drawing her back into his arms and onto his lap. 

“I always moan for you," she whispered, conscious of the fact that no matter how alone they felt, there were still a number of people within earshot. 

“Mmm, I know you do," he nuzzled his nose against her neck, his lips finding a particularly sensitive spot, loving the way she shivered in response, tipping her head to the side to allow him better access.

He kissed her again, letting his teeth graze her soft skin. "I promise, this wedding night will be better than the last. I’m planning on taking my time, worshipping every single inch of you.”

Selene stiffened, he felt it, felt the way her body went from pliably relaxed to full alert as she gently pulled back, lifting her head to look at him. 

“There was nothing wrong with the first one.”

John winced, his eyes dropping to focus on the little crystals that dotted the bodice of her dress, needing a distraction. 

“It wasn't exactly the most romantic of moments and neither was I. I know I haven't said it before, but I'm sorry."

Selene sighed, feeling the tension in his shoulders beneath her hands. Stroking her fingers lightly down his jaw she cupped his chin, lifting his head, encouraging him to look at her. 

She'd had her wobble earlier in the day and he'd known exactly the right thing to say to make things better, now she just hoped she could do the same for him. 

“Baby, it was romantic, it was real, it was passionate and it was what we both needed."

He tried to look away but she held his gaze with her own.

"No, look at me, listen to me. Don’t dismiss what we had that night, don't believe that it wasn't special just because of some notion of how things are supposed to be. It was how it was meant to be, it was perfect because it was you and it was me. You were there with me, exactly where you were supposed to be, that was all I ever needed.”

He sighed, closing his eyes briefly, nodding his understanding and, when he opened them again he didn't hesitate to lock his them on to hers. 

“I love you so much,” he whispered, accepting her kiss. 

“I love you too,” she wrapped her arms around his waist, cuddling in against his chest, content to hum along to the soft music floating from the house, that was until the first fat raindrop landed with a splat on the top of her head. 

She looked up, glaring at the sky like it had betrayed them, a sentiment that seemed to be echoed by the other guests that had been wandering the grounds even though it was past two in the morning. 

The sounds of shocked yelps and running feet echoed around them as the heavens opened. 

Selene scrambled off his lap, grabbing his hand to tow him along behind her as they made a dash for the house. 

"This sucks! I love this song!" she called over the pattering rain. 

John came to a stop, refusing to move. 

“Then dance with me.”

“Always, as soon as we get inside” she answered, yanking on his arm. "Come on, you'll get soaked."

“I don't care, dance with me here, just the two of us."

“But it’s raining.” 

“Then we'll dance in the rain.” 

"You're crazy," she laughed as she stopped protesting, allowing him to tug her back into his embrace, his arms winding their way around her waist, holding her close. 

"Crazy about you," he dipped his head for a kiss, encouraging her to move, leading them in a slow circle, swaying to the music. 

"Maybe just plain crazy in this instance," she smiled against his lips, giving them one last peck.

"Well, you know what they say, life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain. I know we can weather any storm, as long as we do it together."

She didn't answer, she didn't need to, he knew exactly what was in her heart already. She had everything she needed right there in her arms. 

***

There was something decadent about waking up under your own steam rather than being jolted awake by the blaring of an alarm clock or an emergency call. 

Selene didn't bother opening her eyes, not wanting to face the brightness of the daylight that would be pouring in through the curtains that hadn't seemed important enough to close the night before. 

She was so comfortable, flat on her back in a super soft bed piled high with squishy pillows, did she have to move yet? She didn't think so. Surely as the bride she was allowed a certain amount of leeway considering the day they had had? 

Once the rain had come the party had started to wind down, people that had been up all day now feeling the effects of the late night. The coach had been called and those that were staying in the neighbouring hotel had gratefully piled in, more than ready to head to bed. 

For the Island dwellers and the guests that had come with them the night had still been young and they had relocated to Penelope's parlour for coffees and some of the wedding cake. 

John and Selene had joined them for a cup but, still being soaked to the skin from their time outside and now feeling decidedly chilly, they had made their excuses and retired, needing a shower and a change of clothes. 

Penelope, in an effort to afford them a little privacy, had housed them in one of the small cottages in the grounds. Once belonging to the ground keeper it had been converted into a charmingly modern little guest house with a large shower that they had made good use of. 

Thankfully they hadn't promised to return to their guests after drying off, so they felt no guilt in tumbling into bed, intent on spending the rest of their waking hours alone together. 

Selene stretched out as best she could, limbs still heavy with sleep, feeling the comforting weight of an arm thrown possessively across her chest.

Sighing contentedly she started to roll over, meaning to snuggle closer and go back to sleep when a sharp pain stopped her in her tracks. 

"The fuck?" 

Her eyes shot open, her sleep addled brain struggling to catch up and make sense of what she was seeing. 

"You're not Armie," she told the cat that was camped out on her chest where a John arm was supposed to be. The cat blinked in response to her observation. "Though it would be hard, considering he's back on the island with MAX." 

The cat's paws flexed, needle sharp claws pricking into her skin again. Well, that explained the ouch. 

“I didn’t know Penny had a cat. Where did you even come from, how did you get in here? Do you belong to a neighbour or something?" 

She turned her head to wake John, not really surprised to find that the bed beside her was empty. 

"He left me already," she grumbled goodnaturedly, not really minding. Crossing time zones was a hazard of their job and it played havoc with their sleeping patterns, meaning they were used to being up and about when they were supposed to be sleeping or vice versa. 

"Shall I assume that you snuck as he left?" she smiled at the cat. "You're a beautiful one, aren't you?"

It really was gorgeous, the pretty bengal coat shot through with all variants of the brown ginger spectrum, fur sleek and silky looking, the sharp boned triangular face so lovely.

The cat meowed at her, obviously agreeing with her assessment of its handsomeness, its claws digging deeper into her bare chest. 

“Hey, watch the claws, buddy. Those pillows don’t belong to you, I’m a married lady now."

She reached out a hand to stroke the cat, unable to resist the lure of its soft fur any longer. 

The moment her fingers touched the cat's head she felt it, a tingle of awareness that called to her on a soul deep level. 

She looked again at the creature's eyes, a startling shade of bluey green the likes of which she'd never seen in a cat before. But she recognised them, knew them as well as she knew her own. 

She didn't want to speak, almost like she worried that breaking her silence would make it real, but was unable to hold it in. She had to ask. She had to know. 

“John?”

The cat meowed an affirmative. 

"Well," she huffed, trying to remain calm. "That's not what I expected to wake up to, but I guess this proves that it runs in the family."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> John and Selene's first dance song :  
> Rule the World - Take That
> 
> Rain dance song:  
> Love you a little bit more - Dr Hook
> 
> This marks the end of this first part/season of this story. But don't worry, their journey isn't over (obviously, we aren't leaving John as a cat). It's continued on 22,400 Miles Above. 
> 
> Big thanks to everyone that supported and followed along with this story. I hope you'll come back for the second arch.


End file.
